


Shinto Priest Tsuna

by CathyRin



Series: Many Verses of Tsuna [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Abandonment Issue (Minor), Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Family Issues, Gen, M/M, Shinto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-01 16:46:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6528109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CathyRin/pseuds/CathyRin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the Many Verses of Tsuna. Tsuna is the priest of the Shrine of Konosuke, the Fox deity protector of Namimori. Enter Reborn, the Arcobaleno sent to check up on the Vongola heir’s older brother, who was reluctant to visit a boy who grew up in a shrine. Adult!Reborn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reborn's Observation

**Author's Note:**

> This has been inspired by reading Mizukami Shin's BL works that deals with Shinto Religion. It's not really a basis of the fic, but inspired, nonetheless.

 

_Long ago, the small town of Namimori was plagued with rat demons who trashes every single nook and cranny of the area. Many people died as a result from pest infestation to sickness caused by them, and making people fear them._

_In short, it was a disaster._

_Konosuke, and Nekota, a fox god and a cat goddess respectively, were passing by the town with their human companions, Konosuke’s priestess, Tenri Nadeshiko, and a priest of Nekota, Hibari Saotome, when they were attacked by the rat demons._

_Enraged by the blatant attack and the suffering of the town, the two deities used their powers to banish the rats, with the help of their priestess and priest._

_The people of the small town were very grateful for their help, that they had built an Inari Shrine to honor Konosuke, and a Nekoma Shrine to honor Nekota, with their companions being each shrine’s head priests._

_The two deities thought that it would be good to stop wandering around the world aimlessly, and had settled down at the quiet town that they and their priests had helped in their severe time of need._

_Generations passed, and Tenri Nadeshiko and Hibari Saotome’s descendants continued to serve and care for their respective shrines, located in two sides of the town. The Tenri Clan works side by side with the Hibari Clan, even matching their children to each other at one point._

_And thus the story brings us to the current priest of the Inari Shrine of Namimori: Tenri Tsunayoshi._

…

Konosuke was idling at the back garden of the shrine when he heard an angry growl from within the connecting house. The sprites that were also playing by the backyard pond were startled, as the one who owned the voice was too gentle, and too innocent (Konosuke’s words) to hurt a fly.

The fox deity sighed as he stood from where he sat, careful not to crumple his traditional clothing and went inside the house. There he saw a sixteen year-old with medium-length hair standing at the doorway, a letter was crumpled in his hand.

“Tsunayoshi. What in the world has gotten you to growl like a mizuchi?” Konosuke asked.

The boy, Tsunayoshi, turned to the fox deity. “My apologies Konosuke. It’s just…a distressing letter came.” He muttered.

Konosuke tilted his head a bit, “What kind of letter is it? May I see?”

Tsunayoshi didn’t answer anymore and handed him the letter that made his head priest distressed. As he read through the letter, Konosuke fought to restrain himself from going after a man that had dared to step in his shrine to leave behind a child.

_Dear Tsuna,_

_If you don’t know me, it’s your Papa! How have you been? Listen, a friend of mine will be coming at your temple to observe you for a few days. It seems your brother got into something that he shouldn’t have and had probably let your name spill in front of…potential enemies._

_No worries! The man I will be sending will protect you at all costs!  We’ll also be there in two months._

_Your mother says hello to your aunts!_

_Love, Dad_

As soon as he finished reading it, the letter tore into a thousand pieces. His sharp fangs showed in anger and his eyes turned that of a fox demon’s. “That sorry excuse for a human! How dare he?!” he growled.

Tsunayoshi, who had already stopped giving every sprite around the enraged eyes, sighed in sadness. “He didn’t even know what happened to me…” he said bitterly. “He had no idea what I had to go through, and now he goes to contact me years later because of what my brother has done?” he grit his teeth.

Konosuke sighed as he held the shoulders of the boy. “Tsunayoshi. Calm yourself. Look, you’re scaring the wind and water sprites.” He said with a small smile. “It’s not good to do something in the spur of the moment,”

The boy glanced at the fox deity who was wearing a smile, yet he could tell that he was also worried for him. When he glanced at the ripped pieces of paper, he smiled, “Says the one who ripped the letter into pieces,” he teased.

The fox deity smiled, “Cheeky brat. Now, why don’t you get started on lunch?”

Knowing that the deity was merely trying to cheer him up, he went along with it. “Ah! You’re right! I just bought some tofu to make aburaage for the kitsune-udon!” he remembered, “And for dessert, let’s have some yokan. Kyouya sent me some high quality adzuki beans this morning~” he said as he hummed towards the kitchen.

Konosuke smiled for a mission well-done.

He glanced at the ripped pieces of paper that were now being put away by the sprites whom Tsunayoshi had unwillingly ‘charmed’ when he was twelve. His brows furrowed at the thought of the sender, and what kind of disaster he caused in his shrine the moment he showed up past the torii.

He swore never to harm humans unless they harm his prized priests and their descendants. Tenri Nadeshiko had been like his daughter, and he continued to treat her descendants as his own as the generations passed. But the particular incident of fifteen years ago continued to make his blood boil.

Out of all the priests and priestesses that Tenri could have as descendants, Tenri Nana just _had_ to exist.

The youngest of three daughters, Nana grew up knowing that she has no ability to show for unlike her older sisters. She couldn’t see the spirits that roamed around the shrine, and couldn’t even see Konosuke converse with her two older sisters. It was normal not to have this ability in certain generations, and it’s usually dormant to the younger children. But because of this, her sadness in not seeing them turned to envy, and then resentment, that she kept her distance to them, straining their ties as sisters.

The strain had continued on for years until the older sister was chosen as the head priestess and the younger daughters were given the chance to their own futures.

It seemed that Nana was too ambitious for her own good, wanting to best her sisters at everything. She worked at college and refused any help. In the end, she ended up marrying a Mafia man named Sawada Iemitsu.

When she told her sisters, they were against it, even Konosuke himself, for he showed no hint of respect to the shrine, being all loud, considering that he was a fifth generation child when an Italian foreigner named Ieyatsu had settled down in Namimori, in the territory of both Konosuke and Nekota.

Nana, in her anger, severed all ties with her sisters and left with her husband to Italy.

Until one day, Nana and her husband showed up at the shrine carrying a toddler, looking displeased. She dumped the toddler in the care of her sisters who still lived in the shrine, saying that the boy was starting to see things, and that she didn’t want anything to do with him if he would exhibit such divine powers that she was forsaken with.

It took all of Konosuke’s willpower not to curse the woman an ill-fated life, and instead, watched over the young boy that they named Tenri Tsunayoshi, or Tsuna, for short.

For years, young Tsuna had grown up splendidly alongside the son of the priest of the Nekoma Shrine, Kyouya, and had lived in peace ever since. He didn’t pay any mind to the mother that left him behind, or the younger brother that had been born a year after he was left with his aunts. He was happy just where he is alongside his family, and the spirits that roamed Namimori.

But tragedy befell the shrine when his aunts had died in a bank robbery when Tsuna was in his second year of middle school. He grew up as an emancipated minor, caring for the shrine, all the while, being financially adopted by the Hibari Clan, the clan that has stuck with the Tenri Clan since the beginning until he graduated middle school a few months ago.

And now that Tsuna was happy and content with his life, the letter just had to come.

He just wishes that whoever that person that Sawada Iemitsu had sent, he’d better respect the shrine and not to say something offending.

…

The first thing Reborn noticed when he arrived at Namimori was the fact that it reeked of overwhelming supernatural aura. It would seem that the information was true that the people of Namimori are very spiritual, praying for two patron deities with shrines located on either side of the town, the Inari Shrine, and the Nekoma Shrine.

He cursed under his breath. This was all Ietsuna’s fault. If he hadn’t blabbered that he had a brother in Japan, the Ninth wouldn’t have sent him there to watch over him and give him a run-down on the mafia about his little brother’s role.

Iemitsu and Nana were reluctant to share information about the older son, saying that the boy was prone to ‘seeing things’ and others, that’s why they left him under the care of her older sisters.

Now all he had to do is to find the shrine. It was not a hard thing to do. Almost everyone knows where the Inari Shrine is, and he was even given a specific map from where he came from.

He arrived at the many steps that leads to the shrine. “Why are shrines had to be built on top of a mountain?” he wondered as he started to ascend the steps to the shrine.

But halfway there, an arrow was shot in front of him.

Being a hitman for many years, he knows how to sense a hostile presence, and this was one of those situations. The arrow that was shot had a very sharp point, and it was directed at his temple. Had he not dodged, it would have impaled him violently.

He looked at the side of the steps and saw a teenage boy wearing an orange umanori type hakama over a white kimono, with medium-length hair tied in a low ponytail by a ribbon, his caramel eyes looking at him with hostility. Slung on his shoulder was a bag of quivers the same as the one shot in his direction. On his left hand was a bow as long as him.

“Who are you?” the boy asked. “Impure and armed people are not welcome to enter the shrine protected by Konosuke.”

“The question is who are _you_?” Reborn asked calmly, “You attack me halfway to the steps, and then you ask my purpose?”

“I am the high priest of the temple.” He replied. “I take care and maintain the shrine of the fox deity Konosuke.”

High priest? According to Nana, the one who should be the head of the temple was her eldest sister, Tenri Nishiki. “Then where is Tenri Nishiki?”

A pang of sadness coursed through the boy’s eyes at the mention of the woman. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Answer my previous question first,”

Reborn sighed. If the entire people living near the shrine are aware of the mafia, then he better come clean before something else happens. “I am Reborn, a hitman sent to check up on Sawada Tsunayoshi.” He introduced.

The boy’s brows furrowed, “There is no one here by that name.” he informed. “There never was, and never will,”

All of a sudden, everything clicked into place. He smirked, “My apologies. I’m here to check up on a boy named Tenri Tsunayoshi.”

As if assured, the boy got out of the shade of trees concealing him and came out of the light, showing familiar features that Reborn had seen on Iemitsu’s wife. “Then you are looking for me,” he said. “I am Tenri Tsunayoshi, the high priest of this shrine.” He then turned to go up the steps, “Come, let’s talk over tea,”

Reborn had no choice but to follow suit.

Should Reborn had been blessed with the sight, he would notice the sprites living all over the mountain giggling upon seeing his handsome face.

…

“I hope green tea would suffice,” Tsuna said as he poured him tea. “I was not given a date of your arrival, so I wasn’t able to prepare anything,” he then gave him a plate of yokan, which he makes once a week.

“It’s fine. I came on my own accord after finishing my job.” He looked around the home that was connected to the main shrine. “I see now that you live alone,” he concluded.

“And how could you tell?” Tsuna asked. “My aunts could be out of town, for all you know,”

Reborn smiled slightly, “Your eyes said it all.” He informed, “When I mentioned Tenri Nishiki, your eyes screamed sadness and longing. Since you claimed that you are the high priest of the shrine, I suppose that Tenri Nuriko is also deceased, since she would have succeeded her without question.” He concluded.

Tsuna smiled sadly as he held his tea. “My aunts died in a bank robbery when I was in my second year of middle school. That was two years ago.” He shared. “I’ve taken over the shrine ever since,”

“I see. I’m sorry for your loss.” Reborn said. “How did you manage to finish middle school then?”

“Ah, that,” Tsuna started. “I was helped out by the Hibari Clan to finish my final year in middle school. They are our long-time friends, you see, spanning from the beginning of the foundation of the two shrines, one is an Inari shrine, and the other is the Nekoma shrine. The Tenri Clan takes care of this shrine, and the Hibari Clan takes care of the Nekoma shrine. I’ve never been so thankful in my life,”

“Don’t you get lonely being all alone?”

Tsuna waved his hand gently, “Oh, I’m not alone. Konosuke is with me everyday along with visiting deities,” he said gleefully.

Sitting at the sliding door leading to the garden, Konosuke slapped his own forehead with his fan at the outright confession of the boy. He forgot that he was still every bit innocent in all this…

“Oh dear…” he muttered.

“Excuse me?” Reborn asked him, quite surprised. Now he understood Nana when she told him about him ‘seeing’ things. But it seems that the things Tsuna sees are pretty much real.

Tsuna, however, stared at him, no such joke present, “People like you who are not blessed with the sight cannot see them. But those of us who do, well, we try our best to cater to their needs if they need them. They are my companions, as well as part of my family.” He stated.

“Are you the only one who sees them?”

“Oh, no. There are some others in Namimori. My aunts too, could see them, though my mother did not have that ability, considering that she was born into the Tenri Clan.” He frowned, “Maybe that was why she left me under their care. Envious of the fact that they shared the same world, and she doesn’t.”

 _‘That’s why she doesn’t talk about them much.’_ Reborn concluded. “I see.” He straightened up, “Well then, I guess it’s time for me to tell you why I’m here,”

Tsuna perked up, rather glad that he didn’t pry. “You were supposed to…watch me?”

Reborn nodded. “As I said, I’m a hitman. Your family, the Sawada, are a part of the Vongola, a mafia family in Italy. Your brother, Ietsuna, is the future tenth boss of that family.”

Konosuke and Tsuna frowned. They knew that they were part of the mafia, but they didn’t know they were in too deep. This was bad indeed. “Then? Why does it concern an estranged son like myself? Surely no one knows of my existence since I was given up when I was barely fifteen months old.”

“Your brother. He let it slip that he has an older brother. I don’t know what had gotten into him, but once they found out, the enemy families heard of it and is now starting a search to kill you, all because you are a Sawada.”

Tsuna raised a brow, “How long ago was this?”

“Two months.”

“I see…” Tsuna muttered. “But nothing strange here has been happening. Although the flow of tourists from Italy was a lot…” he looked at Konosuke’s direction who was smiling. “But then, others might have done something to ward off the bad things,” he said.

 “You seem to place your trust in these…deities, you say?” Reborn inquired.

“I trust them with my life.” He said straight to the point. “There are few humans who I can rely on, and the majority of them are here in Namimori. But I am not a fool to trust just anyone,” he said. “But I don’t get the feel that I should distrust you, even though you reek of blood and death.”

Reborn was taken aback by his sentence. But he composed himself. This kid was the high priest, and had the so-called sight to see spiritual beings. He would be a hypocrite if he tells him there is no such thing when the mafia uses a different kind of supernatural power. And yet, despite him not trusting some people, he has the ability to accept anyone who wish them no harm. _‘Just like a sky.’_

“You can tell that I have killed many men in my lifetime?”

“Why do you think I attacked you halfway up the shrine? Konosuke doesn’t like it when his domain has been breached by a man who had done many sinful things. But then, most of the people who comes here to pray had a tinge of darkness in them, resentment, envy, greed, the list goes on. The only reason you are not repelled is because I can tell that you are no threat to the shrine. Although you did send the sprites giggling, and that’s a plus.” He mused. “If you have nowhere to go for the duration of this…monitoring, you are free to use one of our spare bedrooms.” He offered.

“Are you sure I won’t be attacked by anything in my sleep?”

“Of course. This house is protected by Konosuke. No harm will come to those who seek shelter,”

“I beg to differ.” Konosuke muttered, but only Tsuna could hear him, “I can play tricks on him when I want.”

“You will do no such thing Konosuke,” Tsuna said so suddenly, forgetting Reborn was present. “Uh oh…”

“Your patron god is nearby, is he?” Reborn guessed. “And he might have said that he could play tricks on me since he’s the one who protects the house from _others_.”

“Bull’s-eye…” Konosuke muttered. “Well, there it goes. Fine, I won’t play tricks if he doesn’t do anything to harm you,” he then stood up, “If you need me, I’ll be in the sacred grove. Kindaichi and Kenichi will be bringing me news there anyway,” he said as he transformed into a white fox with nine tails, and left with a strong gust of wind, that even Tsuna and Reborn felt it.

“He left.” Tsuna informed. “But he did promise that he won’t do what you think he would,” he assured him. “Then, should I show you to your room?”

…

The first few days in the Tenri household was a bit awkward at first. Reborn had to adapt to the fact that wearing a suit and fedora everyday would be too unusual and eye-catching in a bad sense. So to rectify that, Tsuna made him wear a white kimono and a black umanori type hakama as opposed to Tsuna’s orange ones.

Tsuna proved to be very serious in his task as the high priest, going about the daily prayers, tidying up the place, and making sure that he leaves some food for Konosuke, whom Reborn hadn’t seen yet, nor does he want to.

When the shrine visitors arrive, Tsuna would tell them that Reborn was a friend of his aunts and was just checking up on him, making sure that he was eating properly, and all the other necessary excuses.

It seemed to be a good day, until the son of the Nekoma Shrine’s head priest came about.

He was sweeping the entry when he caught sight of a teenager with black hair and blue grey eyes. The boy looked at him skeptically and the moment that he and Reborn made eye contact, the boy instantly took out his tonfas and attacked Reborn.

The hitman immediately used his arm as a shield, noting the held back strength of the impact. _‘So he was just giving out a warning.’_ He thought.

“Who are you and what are you doing here? You reek of death.”

“Nice to meet you too. But I have no ill intentions to anyone in the shrine, or Namimori in general.” Reborn said simply, knowing that this boy might be from the other shrine where the cat deity resides.

When the boy sensed that he was not any threat, he quickly retreated and put away his tonfas. “Strange for Tsunayoshi to take in someone like you.”

Reborn was about to retort when he heard Tsuna’s voice with panic. “Hie! Kyouya! Don’t attack! He’s a guest,” he pleaded.

The boy, Kyouya, looked at Tsuna with skeptical eyes. “Tsunayoshi, you do realize that this carnivore reeks of blood and death? He has killed a lot of men and women in his lifetime. What did Konosuke say about this?”

“I can’t explain this outside, you know,” Tsuna stated.

“No one but us are here right now. Talk.”

Tsuna sighed. “This is Reborn. He’s been asked by…my _parents_ to watch over me. There was an information leak that happened concerning my identity and location, and he would be here for at least two months…or at least until _they_ come here to make sure everything is fine…”

Silence reigned for a few moments before Kyouya closed his eyes. “I see. Then I guess I would not bite this person to death,” he stated.

“Who’s he?” Reborn wondered.

Tsuna smiled, “I’d like you to meet my childhood friend, Hibari Kyouya, the next high priest of the Nekoma Shrine!” he introduced.

“A bit…violent, isn’t he?” Reborn knew that a priest must not shed any blood, but this kid gives him the violent vibes.

“He might be like that, but he does not kill, and does not beat people up if unprovoked…maybe…” Tsuna muttered the last part, also unsure of the words coming out of his mouth. “T-Then! What brings you here today Kyouya?”

Kyouya raised a brow, “Have you forgotten? Takeshi will be coming home this afternoon. You promised to pick him up at the airport with me in place of his father.”

“Hie! I forgot! Reborn and Konosuke were keeping me occupied that I forgot!” he said as he rushed back inside to wear normal clothes.

Kyouya looked at the retreating figure of the brunette before looking back at the hitman. “I expect him to be unscathed both physically and mentally once you’re done here in Namimori. Tsunayoshi doesn’t need any more trouble than what had happened to him.” He said bluntly.

For the past few days, he has been wondering why everyone who visits the shrine were too protective and caring for Tsuna. He thought it was just because he was a young high priest, but now…

Going about with the stories about the Tenri sisters, it seems that they were adored as much as they do Tsunayoshi, who was sometimes a bit clumsy. It appears that almost everyone in Namimori who had been associated with the Tenri sisters knows how Tsuna came to the shrine.

“I can’t promise you that. In my world, and in the world of his family, things have the knack to not go the way we want to,” Reborn stated simply.

A smirk appeared in the face of the prefect. “I see you are not incompetent.” He said. “If you promised me that he wouldn’t get hurt, then you are a fool.”

Reborn smirked, “Glad to know that you care for Tsuna,”

“Of course. He and I are one in the same. We grew up as brothers. We are distant cousins, if you would. And I swore before Nishiki-san and Nuriko-san that I would never leave Tsunayoshi alone.” He stated. “He’s my brother in all but blood.”

“Tell me something,” Reborn said, “Tsuna mentioned that he noticed the increased flow of Italian tourists, but no attacks to Namimori had been made. Do you have something to do with it?”

Kyouya stared at him with sharp eyes. “We protect our own. And they were entering in our territory. Our clan has the right to drive away those who means harm to anyone in town. Crime rate is low, compared to other cities and towns because of it. Protecting Tsunayoshi, though, is my utmost duty.” He stated. “And since Tsunayoshi seem to enjoy your company, then I could at least tolerate the aura you emit.”

It would seem that sending Reborn to the shrine was unnecessary. He already has people looking after him. And maybe, just maybe, he would also be one of them.

…

**Telegram to Vongola Nono**

**_Tenri Tsunayoshi is the current head priest of the Inari shrine taken care of by the Tenri Clan._ **

**_He does not go by the name Sawada._ **

**_Tenri Nishiki and Tenri Nuriko had been deceased for two years._ **

**_Him ‘seeing’ things is actually real. Gifted with what he calls, the Sight._ **

**_Sawada Nana is an unreliable source of information, as well as the CEDEF Boss._ **

**_Most of the locals are protective of the shrines and the two clans that takes care of them._ **

**_The Hibari Clan, it seems, takes care of Tsunayoshi from afar, eliminating those who enter the town with ill intent on the locals and Tsunayoshi._ **

**_Monitoring might not be needed at all, but I will keep up for two months._ **

**_-Reborn_ **

  **TBC**


	2. We Are Connected

"Konosuke-sama, you look distressed," Kenichi said as he was kneeling down after bringing his master news. It was noticeable since Konosuke's nine tails were swinging back and forth in a distressed manner.

Konosuke sighed as he fanned himself in distress, "Well…there's a hitman who reeks of death at Tsunayoshi's, and he welcomed him,"

"EH?!" both his messengers said in shock.

"How could Tsunayoshi do that?" Kindaichi said.

Konosuke sighed, "It seems that he has been sent by that man who married the youngest of the Tenri sisters. There was trouble, and they sent him to check if Tsunayoshi is alright and might need protection."

"So that means we can't visit Tsunayoshi?" Kenichi asked, close to tears.

"No. You can still visit him, but be cautious of the hitman." Konosuke advised.

"Understood…" the two replied.

Sighing, Konosuke ordered, "You may go."

In a flash, the two turned into white foxes with five tails and disappeared into the grove. Konosuke then looked up at the sky, "Nishiki and Nuriko…watch over Tsunayoshi as well…"

"Fufufu~ he needs it alright~!" a woman's voice said.

Konosuke didn't need to see who it was. "Nekota. You sure love to eavesdrop, do you?"

All of a sudden, a cat dropped by in front of the fox deity and was surrounded by smoke. The cat glowed and changed into a female human, though her eyes remained cat-like, and her black ears stuck up on her head. Her fangs glinted with mischief. "Oh no, not at all. I just arrived. Shige's son had eliminated the last of the threats last night,"

"And you didn't even bother to let me help," Konosuke said with a sigh.

Nekota hummed, "Well~ it _is_ Kyouya who has a mass of reform followers doing his dirty work in order for him not to be tainted—thanks to Tetsuya, of course. And they were entering in our territory. You know very well that the main entrances to Namimori are in my territory, so rest assured, you won't have to lift a finger."

"You have always been the mother of Namimori. I still wonder why you chose to be the one who goes up in arms at the entrance." Konosuke wondered.

"Fufu~ a mother never allows her children to get hurt. As a mother, I would eliminate those who even has the thought of harming my children. So just sit down and take care of the inside matters, _dearest._ "

A frown marred Konosuke's handsome face, "You…I still wonder after all these generations, why I chose to stick with you as one of Namimori's deities…"

"Would you prefer me being with Sojobo at Mount Kurama?" she asked rather innocently.

"Hell no." he said with a growl and pulled him in his arms, "You are mine and mine alone, dearest. Never forget. I will never hand you over to that tengu,"

Nekota smiled, her cat eyes glinting with amusement, "I don't intend to do that anyways." She said as she pulled away, "Well then~! It's time for us to go and head back to your shrine. I believe that Takeshi is to return from Italy today, and Kyouya went to pick Tsunayoshi up,"

"I agree." Konosuke sighed and went to leave the grove. "And I still have to watch that hitman. Tsunayoshi might have placed too much trust in him…"

"You forget, Konosuke, that Tsunayoshi inherited the ability of that Italian immigrant, Giotto, was it? Whoever Tsunayoshi trusts, he knows that they would not betray him. Put some more trust in his intuition."

"I do trust his judgment, but I still don't trust the hitman to do something I wouldn't like." He said as the two gods transformed into their animal form and left the grove.

…

Upon returning to the house, he saw Tsuna rummaging his closet putting on an orange parka and pants.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Konosuke said with a smirk.

"Quiet! I can't believe I forgot Takeshi would be returning from Italy today!" Tsuna said as he looked for his sneakers.

Konosuke sat on Tsuna's folded futon, "You do realize that Takeshi is returning from Italy. Which could only mean one thing, as far as we are concerned…"

"I know." Tsuna said. "I've had an inkling suspicion, but that's does not mean that I should forsake Takeshi. Besides, he doesn't even know that I have a brother in Italy—heck, he doesn't even know my parents are there." He said. "But in his letters, he kept on mentioning a friend named Ietsuna. I'm not stupid not to assume that he is…one of them…"

"Don't look like that." Konosuke said. "Takeshi is Takeshi, no matter what side he is in. He might shed blood in the future, but it has a purpose. He is not in the Yamamoto Clan—who protected the Tenri Clan—for nothing. They are natural-born warriors, the same as the Kusakabe Clan who serves the Hibari Clan."

Tsuna was silent for a moment. "I know…but it doesn't mean that I have to like it…" he then turned to the fox deity, "Where's Nekota-san?"

"She met up with Kyouya on the way back from the grove. She wants to keep you company while leaving me to watch over that hitman guest," Tsuna could tell his distasteful tone.

"You don't have to give Reborn a hard time. Just give him a chance to prove himself. It's not his fault that he had to kill in his job." He lectured. "Most have no choice regarding that way of life."

The deity scratched the back of his neck, "Argh! Your insights always give me the shivers. Are you really sixteen?"

"Where were you when I was being raised?" Tsuna said back. "If you will watch over Reborn to wait for him to slip up, then be my guest. Takeshi will be stopping here tomorrow after he sleeps off the jet lag."

And with that, Tsuna left the room and went on to meet Kyouya who was indeed, with Nekota. Reborn had opted to stay behind to watch the shrine for him, and the Sun Arcobaleno had resumed his daily duties, all except sending a telegram to a man named Timoteo.

…

"Aw he seems harmless," Nekota mused as he watched Reborn read a book in Italian language at the back garden. "He doesn't look like a hitman at all. Just a suave debonair,"

Konosuke grumbled. "Suave debonair my behind…" he muttered with a hint of jealousy.

Nekota didn't miss the expression in her lover's face and smiled. "Don't be jealous of a mere human dear~! He might look like that now, but given a few years, he would be a wrinkly old man and you would still be my perfect little white fox," she soothed as she embraced him from behind, her long dark hair cascading to Konosuke's shoulders.

"I wouldn't if you didn't keep singing praises about his physical appearance." Konosuke pouted. "And that makes me insecure,"

That earned a chuckle from Nekota, "Oh dear~ one of Inari-sama's favorite servants, jealous of a mere Italian human? Wait until Shiranui hears about this~!"

"You will do no such thing! That inugami already has a lot of blackmail material on me. I seriously don't need another."

"Oh but the fault lies in you for allowing him to acquire such gossip! I think my favorite was when you accidentally saw Nadeshiko bathing in the hot spring before she became your companion,"

"T-That was an accident!" Konosuke defended. "And Nadeshiko looked like a man at the beginning! How was I supposed to know that she would scream to the heavens upon seeing me pass?"

In truth, Tenri Nadeshiko was often mistaken as a man due to her lack of…assets in the front that men goes after. The only close friend she ever had was Hibari Saotome, who had become Nekota's companion before Konosuke had made her his companion. He still wonders why most of his head priestesses are always mistaken as men, and head priests mistaken as women until their pubescent age. It must have been a strong genetic curse and/or blessing in the Tenri Clan concerning eldest children…

Nekota laughed, "Alright, I'll lay off." She tore away from him again, "When do you plan to show yourself to him?"

"Keh…now that you mention it…" Konosuke said as he got off their hiding place. "I believe now is a good time where Tsunayoshi wouldn't interfere much…"

Nekota smiled, "Talk to him as much as you can. I'm off to catch up with Tsunayoshi and Kyouya at the airport~" she said a she transformed back into a cat and left.

As soon as she left, Konosuke changed into his animal form, but this time, he made himself materialize enough for those who were not gifted with the sight see him in corporeal form. He leaped from his hiding spot, and the moment he did, the Italian closed his book and looked around him the moment he sensed a presence.

"Who's there?" Reborn demanded as he stood up. He was starting to regret Tsuna forbidding him to use his usual gun, and Leon was sleeping in his room right at the moment. But since he feels like it was not a malicious presence, he decided to just speak and not attack. He was not well-versed with the Japanese folklore, so he would have no idea if he would offend the god that roamed around the shrine or not due to him being an Italian. He decided to just stand and hear them out.

"Kukuku…I see that you honor the rules Tsuna enforced on you," Konosuke said as he appeared in front of Reborn in fox form. He took note of the hitman's observation of him in his white fox form. It might alarm him of his nine tails, but if you have had it for hundreds of years, mortals staring at it and perceiving it as a sign of power, it gets a bit old.

"How can I see you?" Reborn wondered.

Konosuke chuckled, "I only allow mortals not granted with the Sight see me at my convenience. And I believe that this time is one of them." he said as he transformed into his human form, a handsome man with a pale complexion, midnight black hair tied in a traditional bun, and a long slightly pointed hat. He wore elaborate and high-quality clothing that of a Japanese noble that of the Heian Period. His fan was folded in his right hand, but his arms are crossed. He smiled in amusement, "And you are the first in four hundred years for me to allow to be seen by those not gifted with the sight."

The man was silent for a moment. "And you showing yourself to me has something to do with me staying with Tsuna for the duration of two months?"

"Kukuku~ of course! I have to ensure that my priest is properly cared for. Since Nadeshiko, I have watched her descendants grow up from birth to their deaths and guided them to the spirit world—if they are my favorites and head priest. I am proud to say that Tsunayoshi fits both categories splendidly." He then observed Reborn. He could tell that the man was trying to be calm, trying to assess the situation and to find out what is really up with the fox deity. "You know, you are pretty amusing. Your leader exchanged half her life in return for you to regain your human form, instead of looking like a toddler,"

The way his eyes sharpened allowed Konosuke to learn that he had hit a sore spot. "Oh don't look at me like that! I'm a god! I can see and tell what you have gone through with just a close look on you." He said. "A pity, if you wore your pacifier often, I might not need to use my energy to appear in front of the Sightless."

"But that would turn me back into a toddler," Reborn supplied for him.

The god shrugged, "As much as I like to see you in baby form, I'd rather not. My lover thinks you are fine the way you are." He said with a tint of jealousy that Reborn caught, but didn't bring up. He knew that these gods are fickle beings.

"And your purpose of materializing in front of me?" he asked.

Konosuke became serious, "Just a warning, but a threat, nonetheless." He stated. "I don't know what your aim is being here, but harm even a single hair on his head, and I will make sure that your semi-immortality will end with your suffering tenfold." He said. "Tsunayoshi had been through a lot as it is, and I don't need the mafia ruining our work in helping him recover from the deaths of my two previous priestesses."

From the first few days of Reborn staying in his domain, he had noticed that he was a bit…tense towards Tsuna for some reason. Peeking into his memories for a bit showed that he was the tutor of a boy with spiky brown hair and brown eyes. A boy who almost looks identical to Tsuna.

" _Ie-baka, step it up."_

_ BANG! BANG! _

" _Kiiiie! Stop it Reborn!"_

" _A mafia boss does not squeal like a girl in the face of danger. Now dodge with your dying will."_

" _Hel-ack!"_

_ THUD _

" _Seriously, tripping on your own feet and biting your tongue all at once. Why are all my students natural born klutzes?"_

Sawada Ietsuna.

"Ah. I see now. Tsunayoshi reminds you of the young Sawada Ietsuna."

"How did you know?" Reborn demanded.

"Nevermind how I knew~! Kukuku~ I see now that you are attached to kids showing signs of being…what was it called in your place…ah, yes, a Sky. Two kids in the span of ten years, and the first one turned out into a fine mafia boss. I approve of your amazing lesson plan."

Reborn wrapped his arms across his chest, "I'm surprised I'm not questioning your intrusive tendencies in looking into my mind, Konosuke, was it?"

"Oh, so you noticed. I would expect nothing less from a half-immortal who is powerful in both will and skills." Konosuke praised. "I give you approval in staying in this home for as long as you want, as long as you do not harm Tsunayoshi and those who live here in Namimori. But should you breach this trust, it will be all over for you, understand?" Konosuke warned.

A small smirk appeared in Reborn's face, "I consider it as a challenge."

The fox demon realized that he was going to like this hitman.

…

Nekota yawned as she waited for the youngest Yamamoto exit the arrival area. "How long are we going to be here?" she asked while purring. She was currently in her materialized cat form and perched on top of Kyouya's head.

"Not for long. And Nekota, refrain from using my head as a resting place. Your fur is starting to make my head itch." Kyouya stated.

The goddess frowned, "So un-cute! Why can't you be adorably flustered like your father Shige?"

"Because you enjoy torturing those who can be flustered easily." Kyouya said back.

Normally, speaking informally to a god or goddess is considered a crime, but on the case of Konosuke and Nekota, their priests and priestesses had been their companions and had a strong bond that revolves around friendship. To a more traditional deity, it would already end up with an hour-long sermon about how to respect your masters and goes on forever.

But to the two deities, being familiar to their priests and priestesses is what ties them to the small town of Namimori and is citizens. They were not feared, but loved, and they protect them in exchange.

"Oh! I think I see him!" Tsuna said as he stood on his tiptoes, wanting to get a higher view of the crowd exiting the arrival area. "Ah! There he is! Takeshi!" he called out.

As soon as Tsuna called the name, the mop of black hair from afar turned and went towards Tsuna's direction, but he was not alone, Nekota saw from her view. "Ah, he has and a silver haired young man with him," she informed. _'And a very familiar shade at that…'_

"Eh? Where?" Tsuna said as she looked at Nekota who was hovering over Kyouya. "Where?!"

Before he could find the teen in the crowd, the teenager was already coming towards them in a sprint. "Hey! Yoshi-nii! Kyouya-nii!" he called out.

"Ah! Takeshi!" Tsuna greeted as the teenager stopped in front of them. He smiled upon hearing his other nickname that only the ones younger than him calls him. They reasoned that 'Tsuna-nii' was too girly and un-awesome, so they opted to call him Yoshi-nii, which was much cooler (their words, not his).

"How's it going? The last time I saw you guys, I was still in sixth grade," Takeshi greeted.

"That was what? Three years ago?" Tsuna said, missing the boy. The last time Tsuna saw him was during his and Kyouya's first semester of second year, and he had to go to Italy for his further education after he graduated elementary. But Tsuna's godfather, Tsuyoshi, had assured him that he was well-taken care of. "But I'm glad you decided to drop by. You didn't even come home during holidays! You're mean!" he teased.

"Fufu…look, Tsunayoshi is pouting because of you, Takeshi," Nekota teased.

The teen only laughed, "It's great to see you too, Nekota-san! Sorry about that. I was a bit…busy on stuff." He apologized as the cat goddess hopped from Kyouya's head to Takeshi's arms.

Nekota snuggled in the baseball athlete's arms and purred, "Hmm~ you've been taking care of yourself, I see. So comfortable. Much more comfortable than Konosuke's arms, I admit,"

"Haha! Don't let Konosuke-sama hear you!"

"Let him hear. He'll get jealous to just about anyone anyway," Nekota mumbled.

"Oh and I didn't come here alone!" Takeshi remembered as he adjusted Nekota in cat form in his arms. "Hayato came with me, saying he wanted to see the Inari and Nekoma Shrine personally,"

"Ooh~ do introduce us!" Nekota urged.

Kyouya looked at the goddess, "He may not be able to see you,"

Takeshi smiled, "Oh, I checked. He _can_ see you. Proved it when he saw me with Shiranui-san three months ago when he came to check up on me, and he was in his human form rather than his inugami form that can't be seen by the norm,"

"That makes things all the more interesting," Kyouya stated, knowing that those gifted with the Sight were bound to be strong people, or strong beliefs in things supernatural.

"You baseball idiot! How dare you ditch me at the crowded arrival area?!" a silver haired teen with angry green eyes demanded as he stalked towards Takeshi with an annoyed face.

But the ever smiling teenager merely looked at him, "Ah, Hayato, there you are," he then turned to Tsuna and Kyouya, "Guys, I'd like you to meet Gokudera Hayato. He's been studying with me in Italy, and I invited him over for a while," he said. "Hayato, these are my big brothers, Tenri Tsunayoshi and Hibari Kyouya."

"Oh, I see," Tsuna said. "Nice to meet you, Gokudera-san. I'm Tenri Tsunayoshi. Nice to meet you!"

In a split second, Hayato found his anger slowly disappearing upon seeing Tsuna's warm smile. "A-And nice to meet you too…" he muttered. "You must be the one Takeshi blabbers about all the time. It was always 'Yoshi-nii this and Yoshi-nii that.' I almost wanted to hit him and throw him out the window," he said without a hint of malice, though it was to give a jab at the ever-smiling Takeshi.

Instead of being offended, Tsuna only smiled, "I hope Takeshi is not sharing anything embarrassing…"

"Yes, because there is a lot of that," Kyouya teased while wearing a smirk. He then looked at Hayato. "You smell like gunpowder. I don't tolerate any exploding hijinks here in Namimori or in the two shrines, so keep your bombs to yourself." He said sternly.

"Don't sweat it. I have strict instructions not to use them." Hayato then looked at the cat that Takeshi was holding. He observed the cat for a moment, staring at it in the eyes.

Nekota found it a bit amusing and a bit rude at the same time. Being stared at as a cat never really sat well with her, especially when they were thinking if she was a sign of bad omen or not. What does the people have against black cats anyways?

"Are you going to stare at me all day, young man?" she asked as her fangs showed.

From the startled look on Hayato's face, he certainly did not expect for a cat to talk. "Y-You…S-Sh-She…!" he glanced at the one carrying the cat.

Takeshi simply laughed. "I didn't know how to bring the subject up, but now's as good as any. I'd like you to meet Nekota-san, the guardian of the Nekoma Shrine and one of Namimori's patron gods,"

Nekota expected the normal reaction of awe, fear, confusion, and any word related to it, but it turns out that she was mistaken.

Understanding seemed to pass the silver haired teen when he heard the name. "N-Nekota-sama as in, the one in the Nekoma Shrine?"

"Full marks!" Nekota said with glee. "I'm surprised an Italian-born and raised Japanese child knows his folklores," she looked up at Takeshi, "I like him already!"

"I know right?"

Kyouya sighed. He was starting to get a headache. He wonders then how on earth did he manage to tolerate a very informal deity, a slightly innocent surrogate brother, a happy-go-lucky younger surrogate brother, and their antics combined. He should have taken the option of not inheriting the position as the high priest of Nekota's shrine and continuing on with his education and his Disciplinary Committee and become a feared prefect. It seems that his choice might have led him to lose some part of his sanity.

Trying to diffuse the situation, Kyouya interrupted them, "We have to go now. Tsuyoshi-san is waiting for you and you two need to sleep off the jet lag."

"Yeah. Wouldn't want to keep my old man waiting," Takeshi stated.

"So you will be staying with Takeshi for the time being?" Tsuna asked Hayato.

The silver haired teen shook his head. "No. It's too much trouble. I'll find a two-month lodging here, but for the meantime, I'll check into a hotel." He informed.

"Well that's not good! It would just be a waste of money!" Tsuna stated.

The three other people knew what Tsuna was intending to say, and it would either be beneficial or a nightmare to Konosuke's shrine.

Hayato smiled slightly, "Yeah, but money is not an object to me. I work enough, and this kind of thing is normal for me who works externally,"

"Then come live with me for a while." Tsuna offered. "I could use some help around the house and the shrine." He stated. "I always get jealous of Kyouya's band of reforms helping around the shrine with the cleaning and stuff, so I want some human help too. Although the frequent helpers of Konosuke and some Ayakashi are very good with housekeeping, and I have more rooms to spare. Why, I still even have a guest in the shrine,"

Takeshi's brow rose. "You have a visitor?"

Tsuna nodded "I'll introduce you once you two sleep off the jet lag." He promised. "So, Gokudera-san, do you accept my offer?"

Looking into his sincere eyes, Hayato knew what he had to answer. "It would be rude to turn down an offer like that," he stated.

It would seem that his answer was correct when Tsuna beamed brightly. And that was when he had an epiphany. Those were the eyes that he couldn't refuse. The eyes of a sky. The eyes that is very, very similar to his boss.

Nekota could already see what was happening. And it was about to be interesting. _'Connections are so very interesting indeed! Fufu~!'_ she thought as she stole a glance at the boy who looks a lot like the boy version of Gokudera Rina, her former miko.

…

Gokudera Hayato thought that meeting Tenri Tsunayoshi was a great pleasure. And he wasn't wrong.

Tenri Tsunayoshi was polite and kind, not like the scowling teen who stays on the sidelines, just watching them talk, and he would answer briefly if he was asked or involved in the conversation. The most endearing part of his personality, however, was his ability to see the supernatural beings—just like him.

Ever since he was a child, he has always seen a lot of creatures around him, even in Italy. He could swear that there were some mythical creatures that roamed the ruins of the former Roman Empire, and it was a bit disturbing, especially the Lares who invades his own descendants' houses.

At first, he tried to tell his sister about the things that he was seeing, but it would seem that Bianchi or any other o the staff couldn't see what he sees from afar.

Until the lady who taught him how to play the piano came.

" _You are seeing them, aren't you?" the lady with beautiful long silver hair asked as she glanced at him after taking a break from playing._

_ Hayato was only five, but he was prone to seeing a lot of things, even spirits. "Yeah…is that strange?" _

_ For a while, the woman was a bit troubled. He thinks he was the reason for her distress, but it all disappeared when she flashed a genuine smile. "Not at all! Remember this, Hayato, your sight is a gift from the gods. You are special in a way you can never imagine. It is up to you if you would interpret it as a blessing or a curse." _

" _Then, can you see them too?"_

" _Of course. You want to know something? I've been seeing them since I was young. I used to live in a town called Namimori, in Japan."_

_ Hayato's eyes flashed with interest, "Really?" _

_ The woman nodded. "I have been seeing them for a long time. I also had friends with me back then. They were both heirs to the shrine of our two patron gods. The first one I met is a girl named Nishiki, and the other one is Shige. They were the future priests of their respective shrines, and I even managed to converse with the two gods!" she said with glee. "I always loved serving in my shrine, the Nekoma shrine, where the deity that protects the territory where my former house was. I was a miko there once, before I traveled here to Italy." _

" _Really?"_

_ She nodded. _

The day of her visit wore on, until it was already sundown and she had to leave.

But after that conversation, she died.

And when Hayato was nine, he found out that the beautiful lady who taught him how to play the piano and educated him with Japanese folklore was none other than his real mother, Gokudera Rina, whose stage name as a pianist was Lavina.

For years, Hayato despaired. He kept what he was seeing to himself, not bothering to take note, and simply observing them. It was also the reason why he was so obsessed with legends, wanting to understand the world that his mother had showed him, and he was not disappointed, even in the slightest.

He thought to himself that he would be alone, until he met someone who could see them as well…

Shaking those thoughts off of his head, he followed the group to Takesushi, where they were greeted by the ecstatic but busy Yamamoto patriarch.

…

It would seem, that Tsuna has been involved with mafia people than he let on.

Reborn, who was left at the shrine after Konosuke went on to the grove, saw that Tsuna did not come alone three hours later.

For at the entrance of the shrine, he saw Gokudera Hayato, the Smoking Bomb and Storm Guardian of the Decimo talking animatedly to Tsuna, who was smiling.

But that smile turned into shock when the teen spotted him. "What?! Reborn-san?! Why are you here?" the silver haired teen asked.

"I stay here," Reborn said bluntly.

"I-I thought you were going to protect Tenth's big brother? Why are you with Tenri-san?" Hayato asked.

Tsuna was now at a loss of words, too shocked to discover that they were indeed part of Vongola, and that Reborn knows them so well, as well as his little brother whom he had never met before.

Reborn glanced at Tsuna. From the looks of it, it seems that he didn't know a thing about the people that surrounded his little brother. All he knew was the general stuff, and not the specifics.

"Can't you tell? The Ninth sent me on a two-month-long mission. I relayed it to you kids before I left."

"Yes, I get that, but I thought you were supposed to watch over his brother. Haven't you found him?" Hayato asked.

At the back of the hitman's mind, he has half a mind to hit the bomber in the head, but refrained. Of course they don't know. "Ah, I forgot. You only know Ie-baka's brother as a nameless kid." he said. "Allow me to rectify that," he started, "The one beside you is Tenri Tsunayoshi, the older brother of Sawada Ietsuna."

"…" Hayato went silent as he looked at Reborn as if he was joking.

But it seems that the hitman was telling the truth.

Tsuna didn't know what to expect upon the revelation that Reborn had laid out right off the bat in front of Hayato.

Fainting in shock was really not one of them.

The brunette merely saw his eyes roll at the back of his head and suddenly collapsed on the ground.

"Ah…he's out like a light," Reborn said it like it happens all the time. "This always happens when he's in shock."

"Hie! G-Gokudera-san! We need to get him to a room immediately!" Tsuna panicked.

Reborn sighed and picked Hayato up from the ground. "Fine. He'll wake up in a few minutes normally, but since he still has to sleep off the jet lag, it will take a few more hours,"

…

When the bomber had woken up, he immediately shot up from the futon he was placed on, where his luggage was now properly situated at the closet and a note from Tsuna.

_ I placed your luggage at the closet. It's a bit rude to unpack your things without consent. _

_ A change of our daily clothes is laid out, but if you don't want to, you could use your normal clothes. _

_ I'm out to pick Takeshi up. Kami knows that he wouldn't get up on time without anyone waking him up violently. _

_ Come for breakfast if you feel up to it. _

_ Reborn also wants to talk to you. _

Hayato glanced at the clothes that were laid out in front of him. He has seen Takeshi wear it during his training multiple times. It seems a bit too big. Takeshi's training partner, Squalo, often complained that he wears it too much during training that it was hard to see the way he moves his body.

But he had some normal clothes, and he hopes he would not offend Tsuna if he wears his normal clothes.

After changing, he went out of the room to find the dining area according to the small map that Tsuna drew for him. It would seem that the house connected to the shrine was a bit large for a sixteen year-old to stay in by himself, but Hayato had no intention to ask why it was so. It was obvious that there was no one else to take care of Tsuna besides the Hibari Clan. According to Takeshi, Tsuna's aunts had passed away when he was in second year of middle school, long after Takeshi had moved to Italy.

Now that he knows that Tsuna is his boss', Ietsuna's, older brother, he now had nothing but loathing to the Sawada couple for keeping the brothers apart. _'Tch. They truly deserved each other…'_ he thought. He still wonders how Ietsuna had grown up to be sane before Reborn got his hands on him, having parents like that keep a secret from him. But it was none of his business.

He was supposed to be here on vacation with Takeshi while keeping tabs on Sasagawa Ryohei, but it seems they would become part of the 'watch Ietsuna's older brother' team.

When he got to the dining room, Reborn was also there, eating his share of the food. When Hayato entered, he looked at him in recognition, "Ah, you're awake."

"Good morning Reborn-san…" he said as he sat across from him where his breakfast was sealed in a plastic foil.

"Tsuna just left ten minutes ago. He'll be back with Yamamoto soon, and he would be told what I told you yesterday."

Hayato looked away in shame. He thought that only his older sister could do that to him because of her face and her poison cooking, but it seems that when concerning Ietsuna and his secrets (even if it was a secret from him) he was prone to overreacting. "I didn't know that the person Takeshi was talking about all the time would be the Tenth's brother…"

Reborn nodded. "It never occurred to me that Ietsuna had an older brother until his idiot father told me himself, and was tasked to look after him for two months." He shared. "From the look of things, he didn't need it,"

"What makes you say that?" Hayato asked, unwrapping his breakfast.

"You've met Hibari Kyouya, have you?"

"Yes…"

"Then that's all the answer you need."

…

Two hours later, Reborn and Hayato sees Takeshi laughing and smiling as he talked animatedly to Tsuna. But there was someone else who was with Takeshi. A rather familiar teenager with white cropped hair and bright amber eyes that he swore he has seen before.

When the three spotted the two in the Inari Shrine, they wore surprised looks.

"Reborn!" Takeshi greeted.

The white haired teen smiled. "EXTREME! Octopus Head!"

Hayato's brow twitched, restraining himself from taking out his bombs and blowing up the other teen to kingdom come. "Turf Top. What the heck are you doing here?!"

"I always do my EXTREME morning run passing by the shrine! I just saw Tenri and Yamamoto coming and they invited me for tea!" he said enthusiastically.

Two years older than Hayato and Takeshi and the same age as Tsuna and Kyouya, Sasagawa Ryohei now studies at Namimori High School as the first year ace of the boxing club after his success in middle school. Out of all the three friends, Ryohei was the only one who continued into high school while Tsuna and Kyouya had chosen to follow their ancestors' footsteps in taking over the shrine. Tsuna was early by two years after the death of his aunts.

"You…you know Tenri-san?" Hayato asked.

"EXTREMELY Yes! Tenri and Hibari had been my classmates in the three years of my middle school!"

The way he said it was enough to give Hayato the headache of a lifetime.

"What is all the commotion here?" Konosuke's voice asked, yawning in effect. He was in his human form, but he cannot be seen by Reborn again.

"AH! Is that the EXTREME Konosuke-sama?" Ryohei asked as he looked left and right, when he was just standing beside Tsuna.

Tsuna sighed. It was going to be a long morning.

…

"So Ryohei can partially see the Ayakashi and the gods?" Reborn asked.

Tsuna nodded. "Ryohei's Sight became impaired when he saved Kyoko-chan from the ones who were after him. He used to see Konosuke and Nekota-sama completely, but now, he could only hear their voices, and he could only see the low-level Ayakashi,"

"It's EXTREME! It's like I really am talking to imaginary friends slash invisible trainers!" Ryohei exclaimed.

Takeshi smiled, "Well, he wasn't really sad about it. If anything, it made it a bit fun on his part." He stated. He then looked at Tsuna, "Back to the matter at hand, I didn't know that you were related to Ietsuna, Yoshi-nii." He said in a rather worried tone.

"I don't talk about my parents much, Takeshi, and you know I don't like talking about them…" he trailed off.

The boy stared at Tsuna, waiting for him to say something to brighten things up, but when none came, his face darkened a bit. "So I see. Nishiki-san and Nuriko-san were right about your mom when I asked back then…" he said. From the beginning, he never really held a high regard towards the parents of Ietsuna, but discovering that one of his childhood big brothers, abandoned as a toddler, was the mystery brother of his sky, he now has a newfound disdain towards Ietsuna's parents. "How did those two produce two angels?" he wondered out loud.

"Beats me." Reborn was the one to reply. "He has the same personality as Ietsuna though, so that's a plus."

Takeshi smiled brightly, "I guess you're right."

"Excuse me? I'm right here you know!" Tsuna said, calling their attention.

"Ah, so you are," Reborn said.

"Forgive me for saying this but…" Hayato said, "I don't understand. Why did Tenth's parents send you here?"

There was a tense silence in the room, but Konosuke, who was sitting at his usual spot at the sliding door to the garden, sighed, "Tenri Nana…she was the only one out of the three daughters of Tenri Akiyoshi to not possess the sight." He revealed to them. "Unlike all of you, except for Reborn, you were all born with the ability to see us, and interact with us in our world. Tsuna's mother did not like that one bit."

Tsuna was the one who continued. "When I was born, she loved me, yes, but when I started seeing things, she grew envious and to get me out of her sight without any repercussions in the future, sent me to my aunts and cut all ties with us," he explained. "I didn't even know I had a brother until…well, until Shiranui-san who kept tabs on Takeshi, found out that Takeshi was part of Ietsuna's mafia famiglia. That was before my aunts passed away,"

Takeshi's head snapped to face Tsuna, "Yoshi-nii…you knew what I and Hayato are part of?"

A smile graced Tsuna's lips. "From your letters and Shiranui-san? Of course. I also knew about Kyoko-chan being one of you,"

A sheepish grin formed on Takeshi's face. "Ahahaha…yeah…" he supposed he shouldn't have underestimated Tsuna's intuition and his information links, considering that he and Kyouya share the same ancestors three generations back. Not to mention that they have connections to some of the high ranking Ayakashi in the country.

"You two EXTREMELY suck at hiding things from Tenri," Ryohei commented.

"I don't want to hear it from someone who can't keep anything a secret, period!" Hayato growled at Ryohei. "I still don't know how Sasagawa ended up normal with having you for a big brother,"

Ryohei twitched, "What was that Octopus Head?!"

"Want to go for it, Lawn Head?!"

Tsuna tried his best to calmly placate them, "Guys…this is a house near a shrine, please don't make any scuffles…" he tried.

He looked at Takeshi, Reborn and Konosuke for help, but all they wore were amused smiles, all eager to see what happens next. Tsuna gave up after that.

But it seems that someone was there to save him, when a tabby cat swooped into the vicinity of the room, passing Konosuke but not before bowing to him in respect. The tabby cat knocked over Ryohei and Hayato's heads and used them as leverage to swiftly land in front of Tsuna, a scroll on its mouth.

"Ara? What's this Tama?" he asked the tabby cat.

All attention was now on the cat in front of Tsuna.

"Tsunayoshi-sama, a message from Kyouya-sama," the cat, Tama, said. Tsuna raised his brow as he took the message from the cat.

The people in the room were anticipating to know what the message said. But all Tsuna wore was a bewildered look, " _'I have stowaways in my hands'_?" he read. "What does this mean?"

"I am forbidden to say. But he requests that you come to the Nekoma shrine immediately,"

…

It was always terrifying, coming to the Nekoma Shrine at the hour of cleaning. But a lot of Namimori's citizens are always praying at the shrine, asking for protection from Nekota. The shrine, it seems, had become a reform ground to all delinquents who follows the rules, and obeys one person and one person alone.

"This is a bit…off…" Hayato said. "Why are delinquents here?"

Tsuna, Takeshi and Ryohei were the only ones unfazed about the atmosphere of the shrine.

"Ahaha, this became a reformation ground because of Kyouya back in middle school. He created the Disciplinary Committee during that time. He ruled the entire school with an iron fist. But when he announced that he would be leaving the committee in the hands of his maternal cousin, Tetsuya, they followed him here to help out in the shrine and to do his…protection work." Tsuna explained.

"Don't you mean _dirty work_?" Konosuke said.

"Konosuke, your mouth." The voice of Nekota chided as she appeared in front of them in a flash.

"Dearest," Konosuke greeted with a smile.

"Ah! You are now in human form, Nekota-sama!" Hayato's eyes brightened. The moment Hayato had met Nekota, he couldn't stop asking a lot of questions towards her, from her duties, to her hobbies, even to her choice in clothing and form when roaming around Namimori. The goddess seemed to be amused by it and answered his every question with crystal clarity.

"Ah, Hayato. You are as enthusiastic as your mother when she first came here and saw me." She mused. She had shared to them yesterday how Hayato's mother had been one of her prized miko, but she had to leave service after migrating to Italy and becoming a pianist under a stage name. It was unfortunate that she had to leave. She was Shige's first love after all.

"I will always be enthusiastic in meeting you, Nekota-sama!" he replied with gusto.

Reborn raised a brow, "This is worse than his enthusiasm with Ietsuna…"

"Is it?" Konosuke asked. "Everyone always seem to be entranced with my lover when they meet her. It takes all of my conscience not to curse them all,"

"Now, now, none of your jealousy spiels," Nekota said. "Kyouya indeed sent you here because he caught stowaways this morning, lurking around near my shrine." She informed. "Cute kids, but stowaways, nonetheless. Shige is the only one restraining Kyouya from interrogating them with his scary eyes,"

"Extremely typical Hibari," Ryohei said, and Takeshi and Tsuna agreed.

"Then, who are these people?" Tsuna asked.

"Why don't you ask them?"

This time, all heads turned to the direction of Kyouya's voice, near the sacred Sakura trees, holding in a vice grip, a boy with spiky brown hair and scared amber eyes, and a toddler about five years old with black afro hair wearing a cow printed onesie.

It looked like a typical lost tourist, but upon close inspection, everyone began to see a familiar face.

"Tenth!" Hayato addressed, looking a bit horrified. "And the stupid cow?!"

The toddler glared at Hayato, "Shut it Ahodera! Save us!" he demanded in a spoiled voice.

"L-Lambo…please don't be like that…" the older boy the toddler was clinging to chided, but he was scared of the one holding his arm tightly, as if he would run away in a heartbeat (which he would probably do). "Hey guys," he greeted sheepishly.

Reborn was the first to recover from the shock. "What the heck are you doing here, Ie-baka?"

Reborn's sentence alone confirmed it, Tsuna thought. He had waited years for this moment, to see the little brother he never met. And it seems that the gods were now granting his wish.

Face to face, he now saw Sawada Ietsuna, his little brother, and the Vongola Decimo.

** TBC **


	3. In the Eyes of Ietsuna

**_Three Days Ago_ **

_“No! You can’t go on your own!” Sawada Nana reprimanded her fourteen year-old son._

_“Why should I listen to you?!” Ietsuna shouted with rage, annoyance and betrayal evident in his eyes._

_His parents had lied to him for fourteen years. They lied that he was their only child. They hid the fact that they hid their other son—his older brother—to be raised by people other than the ones who reared him. “Reborn said it himself! The two of you know_ nothing _about Nii-san!”_

_“That’s not a way to speak to your mother, young man!” Sawada Iemitsu reprimanded._

_Try as they might, Ietsuna has had enough. “No. I will go to Japan and see him for myself, and none of you can stop me!” he declared and left his parents staring at the once obedient boy they raised._

_…_

_As Ietsuna slammed his bedroom door, he didn’t notice a six year-old toddler sitting on his bed, waiting for him. “Tsuna-nii?”_

_Ietsuna flinched at the nickname. He didn’t know until he discovered his brother’s existence that he too, carried the same nickname as he does. That only made his anger intensify. “Lambo…” he addressed, noting the scared look that the toddler was making._

_“Are…are you okay?” Lambo asked. For a six year-old, Lambo grew up to be a smart kid, although his wardrobe choice was a bit questionable._

_Ietsuna sighed as he sat down on the bed beside the boy, “Not really.” He admitted. “I just want to see my Nii-san,”_

_Lambo’s eyes widened, “Eh? Tsuna-nii has a Nii-chan?”_

_The older boy nodded. “I’ve never seen him before, so I’d like to go to Japan to do so,”_

_“Really? Can I come?”_

_He was a bit hesitant in letting a toddler come with him, but since Lambo had been almost everywhere in Europe, and he already has a passport…so it goes to show that Lambo really can go with him. Of course, he could also use a companion, with Kyoko not due to come back to the Vongola Castle for another week because of her training with Lal and Bianchi…_

_“Alright. But I want you to promise to be good.”_

_Lambo nodded in agreement._

_He just hopes that Takeshi and Hayato will be nearby when he arrives. They were supposed to visit Kyoko’s older brother and Takeshi’s father, but it seems that he would have to ask them for help in locating his older brother…_

...

Ietsuna knew Reborn wanted to murder someone, that was a given. But the intent was now directed at him, sitting across from him as his older brother, who hadn’t uttered a word since they arrived, served them tea to calm them down.

Thirty minutes have passed since they had seen him with his youngest guardian, Lambo, being restrained by Hibari at the shrine of Nekota, and when Reborn assumed responsibility to the two of them, they left straight back to the Tenri residence. And right now, the living room was a few degrees colder. Tsuna had done the right thing to give the toddler to Yamamoto and the others while they wait outside the shrine for them to avoid an imminent ice age-worthy temperature in the room. And it was not even winter.

Reborn stared hardly at him. “Sawada Ietsuna. I will ask you once again. What in the world are you doing here?” he demanded with venom.

Ietsuna flinched at that. “I wanted to come here on my own, but Lambo had no one to stay with since Kyoko-san is in Rome right now,” he excused.

“I’m not asking you about why you brought the cow here. I’m asking you what went through your mind for you to follow me and come here to Japan without any notice. Now speak up.”

Ietsuna tried to resist giving an answer Reborn, but immediately gave up when he saw the hitman’s eye narrow dangerously. “I…I wanted to see my brother myself! Since you sent the Ninth the telegram about my parents not being a reliable source of information, I knew they were hiding something from me.” He confessed. “I want to see the brother they never told me I had…that’s all…”

“Then,” Tsuna spoke for the first time to him—he noted that he had somewhat a gentler voice than others, pretty much like Luce and Aria, “Can you tell me why my name and location had been spread out? I have been informed that you were the one who leaked this information.”

Ietsuna blushed in that question. He knew it would come up sooner or later, he just didn’t expect that he would ask him instantly. “It wasn’t intentional, I swear! Mom, Dad and I were in a restaurant, and I asked them right there about coming here to Namimori. They were never around much, and that was a day before they would leave for Russia for three months…” he told them.

**Flashback**

_Ietsuna was now annoyed. His parents should know that he hated fine dining restaurants more than anything. But nooo! They just had to bring him to that very same restaurant he detested. It was the sole reason why most of the time, he eats his meals in the kitchens of the castle in order to get away from all the suffocating grandeur._

_Sure he was born in it, but he craved for simplicity._

_But his parents had other ideas. They showered him with expensive gifts and things, and Ietsuna detested flashy things._

_He wanted to see his parents’ hometown in Japan, but they said no._

_Now he knew the reason why._

_A ‘dirty’ little secret._

_A secret that he just found out after stumbling upon a conversation between the Ninth and his father._

_“What’s the matter Tsu-kun? Why aren’t you touching your food?” his mother asked him. Ietsuna restrained himself from flinching at the nickname. Now that he knew that he and his brother shared the same nickname, it just wasn’t the same. At least his guardians call him Ietsuna or Ie-kun for Kyoko._

_“Are you alright? Not eating is a big no.” his father agreed with his mother._

_Ietsuna, to assure them, shook his head, “No…I was…just thinking…” he excused._

_“About what?” his father asked._

_Ietsuna took a deep breath and spoke, “Can I go and see Namimori?”_

_His parents looked at each other with concerned faces, “What for Tsu-kun?” his mother asked worriedly._

_“You know why. I’ve wanted to visit Namimori for years, even more since Takeshi and Kyoko lives there. I have no idea why you don’t want to go back to your hometown, but at least let_ me _see it.” He pleaded._

_“Ietsuna, what you ask is too much…” his father started._

_But at this point, Ietsuna snapped. “Too much? Going to Japan is_ too much _? When you took me to France for a simple weekend vacation—_ that _is too much. What are you hiding from me?” he demanded. “Is there something you don’t want me to see there, or is there someone you don’t want me to meet?” he said, deciding to just let it out in one go._

_His mother was now getting fidgety. “What do you mean? Of course we’re not hiding something from you!”_

_But he wasn’t going to let it pass. “Then does the name Sawada Tsunayoshi ring any bells?” he said with a raised brow._

_His parents immediately stiffened. “Where…where did you hear that name?” his mother asked._

_“It doesn’t matter where. What I’d like to know is why, for fifteen years, you never found a spare minute to tell me that I have an older brother.”_

_When the two went silent all of a sudden, it was enough of a proof that they had no intention for him to find out the existence of his brother. Standing up, he grabbed his bag and turned. “Until you tell me the reason why you kept my older brother from me, I will not say a single word to the two of you.” He said as he left the restaurant, ignoring his parents who were calling out for him._

…

“I honestly didn’t know there were spies around! I thought they would know better than to let us come in there without any precautionary measures…” Ietsuna confessed.

The room was silent once again and no one dared utter a word, trying to absorb the fact that the Sawada couple were stupid enough to assume that no spies were around to overhear them.

“So it _was_ Iemitsu’s fault…” Reborn muttered darkly. Ietsuna had received hell because of exposing the information to the public when his father was the one who was at fault for being lenient with the security of the three of them outside the castle. Seeing that the rage was now directed at his father, Ietsuna felt a bit triumphant right now towards his father. “Then, what are your plans for coming here? Now that you’ve seen Tsuna, what’s next on your agenda?”

When he allowed himself to flinch, he knew that Reborn knew that something was amiss. “I…I never really thought about that…I thought it would take at least a day before I get in contact with you without having the urge to kill me…so…I never made any specific plans…” he confessed. “And then that scary priest got a hold of me and Lambo…”

“Ah, you mean Kyouya. Yes…people are mostly scared of him,” Tsuna commented. Ietusna didn’t know if that was the truth, or purely his opinion. “Well then, if you have no further plans…why don’t you stay here until Reborn’s time here is done?” he offered.

“Eh?” Ietsuna stared dumbly at Tsuna. “What…are…are you serious?”

Tsuna nodded. “Of course. You are my brother after all. And I don’t want you to waste money to rent an apartment or check in at a hotel. I could use another human company,” he said. “Two years with just living with a fox deity alone with constant visitors is not doing well for my social skills.” He said with a worried sigh.

**“That hurts, Tsunayoshi.”**

Ietsuna looked around to find the source of the new voice. “Who’s that?” he said as he flipped and pointed at the door to the garden, looking at a white fox with nine tails its face had some red markings on them, like a symbol of his superiority to other foxes, most likely.

Immediately, Tsuna stared at him in surprise. “You can see him?”

“Who is it this time?” Reborn asked, looking at Tsuna.

“Konosuke.” Tsuna said as he looked at Ietsuna, “Have you told this to your parents?”

Ietsuna took note that Tsuna used ‘your’ and not ‘our’ for future reference. He knew that even deep down, Tsuna might have not considered his parents as his most of his life. “No…I thought they were just imaginary stuff that I see when I’m hallucinating. At least after I met Hayato.” He explained. “We’ve kept it a secret ever since. Not even Reborn knows it…” he said sheepishly, making sure to look away from his tutor who was probably burying him six feet under with his eyes.

“I see. Now I know how you managed to evade being abandoned.”

At Tsuna’s sudden harsh words, Ietsuna felt himself being stabbed. He did have the feeling that if he said something to his parents, they would not take it too kindly. But now that he knew that seeing these beings was the reason his older brother was abandoned in the first place, he felt like he cheated.

The fox creature chuckled as he set down on the entrance of the garden and transformed into his human form. Ietsuna noted that he has seen the man in the Nekoma shrine, but he just dismissed him as one of the group before Reborn dragged him instantly towards the Inari shrine.

Hence, he didn’t really take in the crowed when he was dragged by the scary priest and then dragged by his hitman tutor in less than half an hour.

“Whoa!” he said in shock as he looked at the elegantly-dressed man in front of them. “You…!”

Konosuke smiled in amusement as he looked at the shocked face of the boy. “Oh dear, a priceless face you have there, Sawada Ietsuna. Almost as if I was scaring Tsunayoshi out of his wits!”

“Stop it Konosuke,” Tsuna said. “And why are you in corporeal form for the sightless?”

“So Reborn can see me, of course,” Konosuke said with a wink to the hitman. “I at least have the courtesy to bring him into the conversation. A bit unfair if he’s the only one who couldn’t see us, yes? Unless he returns to his cursed form temporarily, that is,”

“I doubt it…” Ietsuna muttered, remembering what they had to go through to remove the ‘infant’ part of their curse after a bargain with Checker Face.

“I’d keep my adult form if you don’t mind.” Reborn replied.

With a sigh, the deity nodded, “Suit yourself.” He stated.

With a small nod, Ietsuna righted himself. “Umm…so you’re the deity of the Inari shrine?”

Konosuke nodded. “Precisely. I’ve been watching over the Tenri clan and have had them serve under me for a long time.” Konosuke said, “And all of them were wonderful children. Of course, except for your mother,” his face suddenly turned resentful.

“I know…” Ietsuna said.

“How could you know?” Konosuke asked.

“From the way you spoke of her and the way I remember her as a mother, I guess we both dislike something about my mother.” Ietsuna confessed. “She showered me with things I never really wanted in the first place and barely listens. What’s more…” Ietsuna glanced at his older brother, “She didn’t have the guts to tell me about Nii-san.”

At that statement, Konosuke smiled. “I like you already.” He turned to Tsuna, “Tsunayoshi, he can stay here for life.”

“Konosuke! This is no time to decide on things on a whim! Though he does have the right to, considering he has the Tenri blood active in his veins.”

“Well then it’s settled!” Konosuke decided.

And thus, began Ietsuna’s life in the Inari Shrine cared by the Tenri Clan.

…

Ietsuna settled in well in the Tenri household. But with Reborn around, his training as a mafia boss resumed, as the hitman might have nothing exciting to do while he was in Namimori besides going sightseeing and training in Namimori Mountain (Tsuna stressed that he shouldn’t train where the Ayakashi live). Now he has Ietsuna in his leash again and running around the mountain for some ‘endurance and survival training’ while he was at it.

He might have surprised Tsuna that he knows how to do housework, considering that he was raised in the lap of unwanted luxury all his life. He had told him that he had learned how to clean his own suite in the castle while making a deal with the maids not to tattle him on it. The maids found it quite adorable, considering that he had been doing it since he was eight.

Even babysitting was his forte, upon observing that the toddler in a cow onesie, Lambo, was too attached to his ‘Tsuna-nii’ and follows him everywhere he goes.

“Tsuna-nii! I want grape candy!” Lambo wailed as he clung to Ietsuna.

“Lambo, you already had two in the span of an hour. You’ll get cavities.” Ietsuna chided as he dressed up Lambo with his usual cow-printed onesies after taking a bath. “You need to be more careful of your teeth or they will rot away and would always give you owwies in the teeth,”

“But…” Lambo started to pout.

But Ietsuna was on to him, “Don’t do the pouting. It won’t work this time,” he lectured as he zipped up the onesie and released Lambo from his hold.

Lambo puffed his cheeks in slight defiance at Ietsuna. “No fair…”

“Do you want to get cavities and have your teeth turn yellow and icky?” Ietsuna said.

“…No…” Lambo replied, head downcast.

Ietsuna ruffled his afro hair, “Then we have to control how you eat grape candies, okay?”

“Okay…” he replied, giving into his big brother. “Can I play at the backyard then?”

Ietsuna smiled. “Alright, but avoid any mud puddles. We can’t have you take another bath,” As soon as he said that, the toddler dashed outside the bathroom to go and play outside.

The older boy sighed, thankful that he had avoided himself from giving into the demand of Lambo for grape candy.

“You seem to be a very qualified house husband,”

Ietsuna turned to see the amused face of Konosuke. “Konosuke-san…” Ietsuna addressed. “Well, I have been taking care of Lambo ever since we found him in…well…a child trafficking facility.” He explained. “I was the one who found him all hungry and crying for his mother. I was the first one to show him affection, so I guess he kind of saw me as his parent.”

“And you have been raising him on your own?” the deity inquired.

Ietsuna shook his head, “Not entirely. I had help from Takeshi and the others, though he and Hayato fight often. The maids are helpful, and gives me advice on when to give in and when to be firm with him. Even Reborn is finding him less and less of an annoyance,”

Konosuke chuckled. “I see I have painted you differently before I had even met you.” He stated. “I thought you were spoiled brat living in the lap of luxury and never had a single honest bone in your body.”

“Eh?!” Ietsuna said in shock.

“Though you are a bit idiotic in blowing up in front of your parents with possible spies around, but hey, no one is perfect,”

“H-How do you know about me then?” Ietsuna inquired.

That earned him a chuckle from the deity. “Oh we found out your existence when Shiranui was out checking up on Takeshi. When he saw you, he nearly had a heart attack! You looked a lot like Tsunayoshi that he thought he left Japan to Italy. Since then, we’ve known what you youngsters have been up to for a long time.”

“Takeshi? He knew him before we met?”

The deity nodded. “Two of your guardians know him in their childhood. They know him as their ‘Yoshi-nii,’ that’s why you never managed to place the pieces together, considering that the two of you share a nickname that would eventually make things a bit more confusing.”

“I see…” Ietsuna said.

Konosuke was about to say more when a cat with a message landed in front of him. Ietsuna looked at the cat and sensed a strong spiritual aura around it. This was one of the followers of Nekota, the deity of the Nekoma shrine taken care of by the Hibari Clan.

“It seems that I am needed at the Sacred Grove.” Konosuke said, when he read the message brought by the cat. “Family matters. Do tell Tsunayoshi when he asks, hm?”

And without further ado, Konosuke left Ietsuna with his thoughts about the name issue.

That explained a lot to Ietsuna the first day that he and Lambo had went to stay in the Tenri residence. Lambo had been used to addressing him as Tsuna-nii, that it surprised Tsuna when the two of them responded to the call of the toddler.

In the end, Tsuna rectified it by telling Lambo that he could call him ‘Yoshi-nii’ as he was used to younger kids calling him as such (Yamamoto and Kyoko started the whole thing. Might as well get used to it). Though Ietsuna could tell that Tsuna felt a bit of resentment towards the name thing. He had always been perceptive of the feelings and emotions of people around him, which is an advantage to Ietsuna when he was one step away from digging his own grave because of his actions and words.

So when he noticed that he was a bit upset about him bearing the same nickname, he knew that the resentment was directed at their parents.

Ietsuna knew what Tsuna had thought of that day: his parents were rather content to think that he never existed, and gave his nickname to the son that they thought didn’t have the Sight. And that made Ietsuna even more hateful towards them and to himself.

Would Ietsuna end up being under the care of the late Tenri Nishiki and Tenri Nuriko had Ietsuna flaunted his ability to see the supernatural? Most probably, if they were determined to have a normal kid to raise as a mafia boss. Considering all things, Ietsuna might have preferred it than to be with his parents that were close to being inattentive—considering the fact that they shower him with unwanted luxury and would disappear for months before popping back up like mushrooms. 

He would have been happy living in peace in Namimori, free from emotional complications brought about by the mafia and the educational torture Reborn had instilled in him, but he stopped himself.

He wouldn’t have met his family members, his guardians, had he not been in certain sticky situations that made their bonds stronger.

Like when he found out that Gokudera had shared the same ability as him, when Yamamoto and Kyoko approached them with smiles even though they were speaking broken Italian, when he found Lambo helpless in the child trafficking market and unwanted by his family when he was returned, when Mukuro was about to take over his body and had forgiven him, and when he made peace with Xanxus who once resented him for taking the title that was supposed to be his, among other things.

He figured that his parents were the only sore spot in his existence, and the rest, they were the reason he was the person he was today. A boss-to-be with a well-trained mind and body, a little (too) clumsy, and somewhat a big brother figure to the kids that had snuggled themselves into his heart.

Ietsuna wouldn’t trade his life for anything, but it would have been better had he grown up with his older brother, to support and give him advice every step of the way—maybe even meet his two aunts that he never got to know.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Ietsuna jumped at the owner of the voice. “Whoa!”

Tsuna chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender, “Sorry about that. You were staring into space outside Lambo’s room, so I got a bit worried that an Ayakashi possessed you.”

A blush crept on his face as he said that. “I-It’s nothing.” he stuttered.

Tsuna titled his head, “Then why did Konosuke leave for the grove from here?” he asked. “He said something, did he?” he said with a sigh. Without waiting for an answer, Tsuna turned to the living room, “Come on, let’s have some tea and yokan. Reborn will be back in a few minutes after his chore in shopping,”

Following Tsuna, Ietsuna sighed inwardly as he thought of his tutor, whom he never see do anything domestic like cleaning and grocery shopping. Although there were a lot of things that the hitman preferred doing unseen, it was still unusual for him, a student of his since he was twelve, to see his tutor so domestic.

“So, is there anything bothering you about the house and the shrine?” Tsuna asked after he served the tea and yokan. The brothers now sat across each other.

Ietsuna shook his head. “Not really. The house is peaceful, though a lot of talismans are placed in certain corners of the house and the shrine, I noticed,”

Tsuna smiled, “They are used to ward off evil Ayakashi. But most of our guests here are traveling deities and certain ayakashi who gives us messages and information from other places outside of Namimori.” He informed. “All in all, this town is quite peaceful—at least on my side of the town. Kyouya’s, however…well, a lot of delinquents are being reformed there,”

“How…do you know the scary guy in the other shrine?” Ietsuna wondered, eager to know what their connection was.

“We grew up as brothers. He stood as my older brother alongside Ryohei, although the three of us are the same age. But in regards to months, I’m the youngest of the three of us.” He said fondly. I even became a big brother to Takeshi and Kyoko in that respect. Even if they are not my siblings by blood, I adore them all to bits,”

A mysterious pang of jealousy waved through Ietsuna. The mere mention of Ryohei and the creepy priest named Kyouya was driving a wedge in his chest, as if saying that someone else has been filling the void of sibling affection in place of him, the one whose existence was not known to the young head priest had an inugami not have checked in on one of his surrogate brothers.

“I see…” he muttered a bit darkly, which did not get past Tsuna at all.

“Is there…something that matter?” Tsuna wondered.

“Nii-san…” Ietsuna started, “Have you…ever thought about…us?” he asked hesitantly.

At his question, Tsuna was taken aback. Ietsuna could see the mixing emotions in the eyes of his older brother, but suddenly, it all settled into one calm pool of caramel. It seems that his brother had thought about this more than once in his sixteen years of life, and Ietsuna is eager to hear what he has to say, no matter how painful it may sound coming from him.

Tsuna settled with a deep sigh and looked at his tea, “If I am honest with you, Ietsuna, I believe all I could feel when thinking about… _our_ parents is hatred.” He revealed. “I thought, growing up, even if they left me, they would still send me letters and gifts, even once a year, for me to be assured that they still want me. Imagine my surprise when I got a wake-up call that they would never come for me ever again, and that I was too naïve to ever think of such a scenario. It didn’t help when our aunts hadn’t had the heart to tell me that I have been abandoned by my own _mother and father_.” He spat at the words.

It made Ietsuna flinch in fright at the intensity of the way he said those two words as if it was the vilest thing that has ever left his lips. But he understood it. Ietsuna had always been like that, able to sense emotion even in the coldest person’s eyes, like Reborn whom he had sensed a lot of emotions from every single time he was in the vicinity—but mostly all of them were professionally hidden by others who were not empathetic, as the Ninth had called him. But it was there in Tsuna’s aura, hurt, betrayal, anger, and frustration.

“Nii-san…”

“And when I had heard from Shiranui-san that he had seen you, and discovered who you are, I felt as if they replaced me with you.” He said. “A child they all thought was normal, and couldn’t see anything that a normal human couldn’t. All because of a petty jealousy of one woman born to a clan serving a deity, and who would never have the sight like her two accomplished older sisters—not knowing that the child they kept also had the same ability that was the reason they threw away their older child…” He continued as he gripped his cup tighter, alerting Ietsuna that it might break from the pressure of his hands. “And worst of all…they kept me from knowing you.” He said as he looked at him with a pained expression. “The moment Shiranui-san shared his memory of you, there was nothing I ever wanted than to meet you, and our parents didn’t give me the chance to become a brother…”

At that, Ietsuna let out an amused smile. “It’s funny, how we both wanted the same thing.” He confessed. “The moment I discovered your own existence, there was nothing more I wanted to do than to meet the brother I never thought I had. Now that explained why they looked so hesitant and panicky when I said I wanted a big brother for my sixth birthday.” He looked at Tsuna who seemed to have calmed down and stopped squeezing the life out of the tea cup in his hands. “To tell you the truth, Nii-san, I never wanted my life back in Italy. I sometimes wish I told our parents about my sight, then they might have sent me to live with you and our aunts and lived a simple life, not being groomed as a mafia boss in the lap of luxury.”

Tsuna smiled again, knowing how he felt. “I guess we _are_ quite similar.” He mused. “And don’t worry, Kyouya, Ryohei, Takeshi and Kyoko might be my surrogate siblings, but I saved enough space for you in my life.” He assured him with a smile, shocking Ietsuna. “You don’t think I didn’t sense a tinge of jealousy in you, right?” he joked around.

And for some reason, Ietsuna found himself easing up in his relationship with his older brother, and had somehow gotten used to the feeling of living a normal life as the little brother of the head priest of the Inari Shrine of Namimori.

 “THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS!” Konosuke growled as he entered the living room where the brothers had settled into an animated conversation with each other. They were surprised at the outburst of the deity, even while he was in fox form.

“What’s wrong, Konosuke-san?” Ietsuna wondered.

“THIS!” Konosuke said as he handed the boys an elegant scroll with a seal of a karasu-tengu and cat demon.

“Oh dear…” Tsuna muttered, sensing what was going on. Opening the scroll, he read its contents. “ _’You are invited for the wedding of Reitetsu-sama, son of Konosuke-sama and Nekota-sama, to Mira-sama, the son of Shiranui-sama and Kuroha-sama…’_ Eh?!” Tsuna blanched, stopping the moment the first sentence was processed in his head. “Reitetsu-san is getting married to Mira-san?!”

“Who’s that?” Ietsuna wondered.

“Reitetsu-san is Konosuke and Nekota-sama’s son, and he’s a cat demon. Mira-san is the son of Shiranui-san, the inugami who checked on Takeshi, and Kuroha-san, the karasu-tengu. He’s a karasu-tengu as well.” He informed.

Ietsuna waved his hands in front of his brother, “Hold up! You read that they are _sons_. So the two of them are getting married with the fact that they are males?”

“FORGET THAT! I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT PERVERTED KARASU-TENGU TO MARRY MY PRECIOUS REITETSU! HE CAN TAKE ANYONE BUT MY YOUNGEST SON!”

“Konosuke, Reitetsu-san is two hundred years old.” Tsuna injected.

“He’s still barely a teenager in that respect! Shirofumi was two hundred and fifty when he married! I will have word with his mother right now! See if he still wants to be married to my son!” he said as he grabbed the scroll from Tsuna and left in his fox form towards the Nekoma shrine with the intent of convincing his lover to change Mira’s mind about marrying their son. Ietsuna has a feeling that it will fail, but hey, the fox deity had to learn it the hard way in order for him to stop being an overprotective parent to a child more than a hundred years old.

With a sigh, Tsuna returned to Ietsuna who was near breaking from the scene. “Gender is not an issue when it comes to the Ayakashi, Ietsuna. That’s common knowledge.” Tsuna said with a huff. “Besides, offspring is created through simple unadulterated love towards to gods. A child materializing one day to prove that love is pretty much normal. Konosuke and Nekota-san has had five children since they got together five centuries ago.” He informed him.

“Eh?”

“Indeed. Shocked the living daylights out of me too the first time I heard the godly birds and the bees talk.” Tsuna said calmly as he sipped his tea. “But you’ll get used to it soon enough.”

_‘Nope. I take that back. I’m still not used to the life in the Inari shrine. I don’t think I ever will for a few more years…or incidents…at least on the supernatural side of things…’_ Ietsuna thought, realizing that simple the life may be in Namimori, it was far from quiet.

And Ietsuna liked it that way.

**END**


	4. Epilogue: A Family Is...

What makes a family?

Ietsuna had been wondering that ever since he came to Namimori to see his older brother whom he never met.

And now in the weeks that he has stayed in Namimori, he decided to just simply wonder why his family was different and dysfunctional than the rest of his guardians (barring Gokudera, Lambo and Mukuro which is an entirely different story).

For the longest time, Ietsuna thought that his life was too over the top, and he was right in so many aspects that he wanted to run away and fade into the night every time he thinks about the non-stop social gatherings and whatnot that came with being the Vongola heir. He’d do anything to throw that title away, but he considered the people that he had formed bonds with over the course of his fourteen years of life, and of how it would affect them greatly if he deserts them in a single whim.

But for now, he would enjoy his last few days in Namimori like it was his last chance of a normal life.

“Tsuna-nii! Ahodera hit me again!” Lambo ran to Ietsuna with teary eyes.

Ietsuna sighed. “Lambo, you were sneaking some grape candies again, that’s why Hayato hit you.” He chided, “And Hayato, did you hit hard?” Ietsuna wondered to the silver haired teen.

“I just bonked him lightly on the head, Tenth. He started whining after that.” He said nonchalantly, which was a sign that Hayato was telling the truth. Usually when he’s at fault and making excuses, he would panic and fuss over anything the other party was trying to say.

Ietsuna had given Gokudera permission to punish Lambo as long as it was a valid reason. And this time, it was. Ietsuna had restricted Lambo to eat only two grape candies a day, and Gokudera had caught him trying to sneak in a third one before snack time.

“Ha ha! Gokudera caught you again, did he?” Takeshi asked with a smile on his face.

“Take-nii! I want grape candy!” Lambo whined.

“No can do kiddo. Ietsuna’s orders, remember? If you want to be a good guardian, then you have to abide by his rules,” Takeshi reminded him calmly. Ietsuna was glad that Takeshi could talk Lambo into doing something other than him. Heaven knows what Lambo could do when he is not around.

Lambo sniffed. “I guess so…”

Takeshi ruffled his afro, “Well, on the bright side, Yoshi-nii is making taiyaki in the kitchen! So you better save your tummy for that!”

At that information, Lambo’s eyes brightened. “Really? Lambo-san will wait for Yoshi-nii’s taiyaki then!” he said as he left the three to go to the kitchen to see Tsuna who was indeed preparing taiyaki for their afternoon snack.

The three sighed at the toddler. “Thanks for distracting him, Takeshi.”

Takeshi laughed, “No problem! Everyone knows when a kid wants something he can’t have anymore, you give him something he is yet to have,” he informed. “And Yoshi-nii’s cooking is enough of a reason to deter him from eating grape candy.”

Ietsuna and Gokudera learned first-hand on how good Tsuna’s Japanese desserts could be. Ietsuna’s favorite might be his candy apple recipe where the candy tastes of persimmon which Tsuna grows at the garden of the vast property of the Tenri Clan connected to the shrine.

“I have to admit, Nii-san’s food is good…Lambo might look for it once we’re back in Italy…”

Silence reigned between the three.

They, along with Reborn, had avoided the topic of going back to Italy after the arrival of the Sawada couple—which is in just a few hours.

But now that it was nearing, no one can deny that they had to confront it sooner or later. And now would be a good time. Ietsuna sighed. “I don’t know. My mind says stay here, but…I have a feeling that no matter what I do, Italy will still lure me in. Nii-san and I can’t avoid my imminent duty forever.” He muttered.

“No matter what, Ietsuna, you have to face it sooner or later.” Yamamoto said. “I remember when Yoshi-nii wrote to me saying that he was given a choice to either live as a normal student or to take over the shrine after his aunts died two years ago…” he mentioned.

“He was?” Ietsuna asked.

Yamamoto nodded. “I don’t really know the specifics since he only told me that much, and Kyouya-nii has always been a man of few words. You can tell what path he chose in the end,”

Ietsuna was about to ask more, but it seems that his brother had other plans. “Everyone! There’s takoyaki here! Kyouya also brought some oolong tea! Get some before Kyouya, Reborn and Lambo-kun eats it all~!”

The issue forgotten for a while, and Yamamoto whooped with delight, “Oh yeah! Yoshi-nii’s cooking!” he said as he ran towards the dining room, leaving behind a bewildered Ietsuna and Gokudera.

Gokudera shook his head. “Honestly, that guy acts like the stupid cow when food is concerned…”

Ietsuna merely laughed and turned to walk to the location too, “Come on. I don’t want to lose to Lambo!”

“Y-You too Tenth?!” Gokudera stuttered.

“No one can resist Nii-san’s cooking. Come on!” Ietsuna explained as he pulled the willing Storm to the inside of the house, hell-bent on not allowing Lambo to hog all the takoyaki.

And like that, the issue was completely forgotten again.

…

The wedding of Reitetsu and Mira was a very festive one. Held at the top of Namimori Mountain, the parents of the two pulled a lot of strings to make the celebration grand.

Ietsuna watched as the Ayakashi and the deities that were invited made merry on behalf of the wedded couple. He could tell that the connections and friendship of both families had been used well, and he was a bit wary of the deity that was near them.

Okuninushi, the patron god of the Izumo Province, and Inari Okami, the rice and fertility goddess herself were also present, much to their shock.

Apparently, Konosuke and Nekota had been acquainted with Okuninushi and had helped him in a scuffle once before they settled down in Namimori as its patron deities. He was also a frequent visitor of the two shrines and had exchanged words with Tsuna several times in the past with their aunts.

Inari Okami is the mistress of Konosuke, as he was her favorite messenger god in Namimori and had erected a shrine in her name. It was only right that she celebrates the wedding of his fifth offspring and congratulate him in making his connections broader by the union.

He shouldn’t have been surprised at the fact that Tsuna had mingled with the deities and ayakashi since he grew up being raised as the next head priest of the Namimori Inari shrine, but the fact that his connection was this big was what surprised him. It seems that Tsuna literally has a life beyond the normal daily life in Namimori. 

Now here he was, playing with some of the kids of Konosuke’s eldest son, making sure that none of the four little kitsunes would get out of his sight.

“Yasuhiro, Azumane, be sure to watch the twins when they hide,” Ietsuna reminded them.

“Yes~!” the two eldest kitsunes under his watch replied as they scurried off to the nearby play area for the kids.

Ietsuna chuckled as he remembered I-pin and Fuuta who were back in Italy, knowing that they might be missing him as well. He had called the other day, and the two kids were asking when he would get back so he could play with them with Lambo. Remembering that cracked his heart a little bit, knowing that those two were a bit lonely without him there.

He had met the four kids when they stopped by at the shrine while he and Tsuna were cleaning the shrine alone since he was the only one Tsuna trusted not to break anything in the prayer room. He was surprised when he was run over by four kids with fox ears and tails, thinking that he was his older brother. It seems that the young ones cannot remember a human’s face until they sprout their third tail, and resorted in following the aura of the person they classify the human with. Since he and Tsuna were brothers, they had mistaken him for Tsuna. Surprisingly, Ietsuna found himself bonding with the ‘cute’ kids belonging to Konosuke’s eldest son.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

Ietsuna was taken out of his thoughts and turned to see the eldest son of Konosuke, Tatsuhiro, a kitsune. He has met Tatsuhiro the same day after Konosuke threw a fit about Reitetsu being married to Mira to calm him down. Apparently, his mother had sent him to talk some sense into him as the cat deity was quite busy with wedding preparations with Mira’s mother to be bothered with her lover throwing a childish tantrum.

“Tatsuhiro-san…yes, of course I’m enjoying.” Ietsuna said as he glanced at his brother who was talking with Okuninushi like they were close friends. Out of all the guests of the wedding, the only mortals that were invited were the Hibari and Tenri Clans’ main families, which means Kyouya and his parents Hibari Shige and Hanami, and Tsuna and he are present. Reborn and the others were left to watch over the house much to the disappointment of some. “Although, Konosuke-san is not that happy when he glances at Mira-san’s way,”

Tatsuhiro laughed. “Well, while Mother and my siblings all think that Reitetsu picked a good one, Father still resents the fact that he’s being stolen by Mira, even though we all saw it coming. He’ll come around when they start popping up some offspring,” he said. “I know he did when my first brood were born,” he said as he pointed at the identical twins who are already in adult form pulling pranks on their peers at one corner of the place. The only indication that they were not fully human were their animal ears and tails. “Although sometimes, they are more trouble than they’re worth.” He said with an amused smile.

“I see…” Ietsuna muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Tatsuhiro asked, sensing that something was up with him.

Ietsuna shook his head. “It’s just…no matter who your children are, who they married and how they seem to sometimes be at odds with each other…you still treat each other as family,” he admitted.

“Ah, I see where you’re going,” Tatsuhiro stated. He then pointed at the gloomy-faced nekomata that Ietsuna recognized as Konosuke and Nekota’s middle child and only daughter, Shirayuki. Out of all of their five offspring, Shirayuki was the only daughter of the two deities and the one who vowed to be eternally single. But still, Shirayuki seemed to be enjoying babysitting the second son, Shirofumi’s mizuchi daughter along with their second youngest brother, a nekomata, Masahiro. “I’d advise you to take a look at Shirayuki for that. She was the only girl born to our parents, but did she resent it? Of course not. She saw it as an advantage to stand out and out-sneak us in any way she could think of. Call it a trait that she got from Mother. In terms of your situation, well, Nana will reap what she sowed. No family is perfect, no matter how hard she tries to make one.”

Ietsuna nodded. “And in effect…her goal of creating a perfect normal family failed when Nii-san and I were born with the Sight that she never got.”

“But to be honest, no matter what she did, she is still your biological mother. No one can change that. You’d be surprised what Tsuna had as a mindset to cope with the pain of knowing that he was abandoned because of a rare gift.” Tatsuhiro said with a sigh. “Well, on our case, we love our family members because they are what makes us who we are. When they are in trouble, we help them the best way we can, and when they do a heinous crime, well, justice is always above everything else in what we stand for and we allow them to be punished because it’s a way for them to learn that what they did was something they cannot get out of easily. That’s my opinion anyway,”

 Ietsuna was silent, processing all that Tatsuhiro had told him. “Thank you for telling me this,”

Tatsuhiro smiled. “No problem.” He said as he left Ietsuna to get back to tormenting his new brother-in-law.

Tsuna smiled as he saw his little brother having fun with babysitting. He had always wondered if Ietsuna was more cut out to be a kindergarten teacher rather than a mafia boss, with the way he takes care of Lambo and the children that visits the shrine sometimes, both human and ayakashi.

“Tsunayoshi, your brother seems to be interesting,” Okuninushi commented as the god eyed the younger of the brothers. “Fated to become a leader of an underground organization, and yet, he does not look sinister, not in the least,”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Tsuna replied. “He’s set to go back in two weeks’ time,”

“A pity,” Inari Okami muttered under the sleeve of her kimono, “That boy still has a chance of a normal life away from the mafia, and yet, he still chose the path?”

Okuninushi chuckled, “I would think that he never took that chance because he knew he had to do something to make of himself. One does not simply choose to hide behind the shadow of his older sibling, isn’t it?”

Inari Okami nodded in agreement. “It would seem so. Tsunayoshi _is_ one of the most powerful priests alongside young Kyouya,” she stated. “No one could really blame him if he became jealous of his spiritual powers,”

“And that is what I don’t want for him to do,” Tsuna said. “All I want him to do is to choose what he feels is right for himself, and not for other people…”

“And if he still chooses to be in the mafia?” Konosuke asked.

Tsuna looked at his little brother, “Then I will honor his decision, knowing that he made the choice for himself.”

…

“Nii-san?” Ietsuna called out as they walked down the mountain after leaving the wedding reception.

“What is it Ietsuna?” Tsuna wondered.

Ietsuna stopped walking, and so did Tsuna. “When our aunts died two years ago…you were given a choice, right?”

Tsuna’s eyes widened for a fraction before he replied. “Yes.” he answered. “I was the last known eligible person to inherit the shrine and the post. It looked like I had no choice, but I had one. I could have handed the shrine to a branch family, a distant relative of ours who also possesses the Sight, but I thought about the fact that our aunts had prepared me for this for a long time.”

His statement somehow struck a chord in Ietsuna, the words of his grandfather figure, Timoteo, rang in his head.

_“I wish I was able to protect you from inheriting such a position in a world like this. But as it stands…your decision will be considered in the end whether you want to take the position or not. It is your birthright, but it is up to you if you would take it.”_

“Why are our fates so alike?” he wondered as he stopped walking. Tsuna did as well after he said it.

“You were given the same option by the Ninth, weren’t you?” when Ietsuna looked away, he knew that he was right. Sighing, Tsuna turned to a corner, “Come, I want to show you something,” he said as he walked along again, but this time, not to the route home.

Silence reigned between them again as Ietsuna followed his brother somewhere between the woods. He noticed from the treetops, some ayakashi peering at them, but Tsuna paid them no heed. Ietsuna could hear some of them having drinking parties in some places beyond their sight.

In the end, they went to a part of the forest where a large lake was at, its waters reflecting the sky adorned with hundreds—if not—millions of stars above.

“I come here every night when I have something to think about.” Tsuna said as he took a seat at a fallen hollow tree trunk at the front of the pond. He pat a space on it, signaling Ietsuna to sit beside him. “I remember two years ago, when Tsuyoshi-san was still my guardian after our aunts died…” he said, mentioning Takeshi’s father. “I used to drive him crazy when I disappear in my room in the evening and come back at midnight, asking me where I’ve been. I said to him I was in a place where I could think, and that it was safe from other ayakashi who wanted to swallow me whole.” Tsuna chuckled at the memory.

“And this is the place you were talking about?” Ietsuna asked.

“Yes,” Tsuna said. “Nishiki-obaasama and Nuriko-obaasama used to share this place when they were younger. Since they were twins, they did a lot of stuff together, and kept it as a secret just between the two of them. They first brought me here when I entered elementary school, and we used to have picnics here during our birthdays.” Ietsuna noticed that his smile turned sad, “The last time I was here was two years ago, when I thought about either becoming the head priest of the shrine, or live a normal life as a normal teenaged orphan taken in by the Yamamoto family.”

Ietsuna didn’t need to know that he chose the former. “Why…why did you choose to be the head priest then?” he asked him. “Anyone would want a normal life, if it could get you away from the things you were told to shoulder…”

Tsuna chuckled, “I wish it was that simple.”

“Eh?”

Leaning back to look at the starry sky, Tsuna sighed before he explained. “It’s not just whether I like the position or not. I also have to consider what would happen to the shrine if it ends with our aunts. Tradition matters, especially to the Tenri Clan. We are not known to run away from what we should do. Besides, I was happy with the fact that I could do something for the people in Namimori, like create fortunes, for one,”

“Didn’t you feel…you know…restrained?” Ietsuna had always felt like he was in a cage during his younger years. He was always considered as the fifth in line for the title, and was raised as one. Now that he was the first in line to the title, his chains got tighter and tighter. The only respite of his in having those thoughts was his lessons with Reborn.

Tsuna shook his head, “There were times I felt that way in the early parts, but all in all, I didn’t feel like I should do things because it is expected of me, but it’s because it is what I should do, and it’s the right thing. In the end, I realized I rather enjoyed doing those things. There was always something new about the world of the ayakashi every single day. I seem to remember almost getting eaten by one when I just started, but I was fine in the end. After all, I had Konosuke with me to guide me on what I should do.” He looked back at Ietsuna, “Like what Reborn is to you,”

Ietsuna snorted, “Half the time, I think Reborn is trying to kill me on a daily basis,” he smiled when Tsuna’s lip quirked up. “But you’re right. Even if I didn’t really want the position in the first place, the process had made me get real friends, and I got stronger to protect them thanks to Reborn,”

“If you have the will to protect those precious to you, I don’t think you’re making a mistake in what you entered yourself into.” He stated. “Let me tell you something our aunts said to me once: the moment you were born, you were destined for great things like our two ancestors. Tenri Nadeshiko was just a simple orphan before she became Konosuke’s priestess, and look, she built the Inari shrine in the name of Konosuke, one of the messengers of Inari Okami.” He informed him while standing up, “And I bet that all you need now is a boost in the right direction,”

“So you’re saying…”

“Whatever choice you make, you must let it come from your heart. That’s the key to everything when you are given a choice. Set aside your thoughts about duties and traditions and listen to it.” Tsuna advised. “I listened to it two years ago, and I did not regret a single thing since that day.”

With that, Ietsuna smiled. “Thanks Nii-san,”

Tsuna smiled in return. “Come on, let’s get back before it gets darker.”

The two brothers then proceeded to their normal path to the shrine, all the while, Ietsuna had decided what to do with his future.

If his older brother could take up a mantle of responsibility, then there is no stopping him for doing the same.

…

**A few days later**

“Are you really sure you want to go in there with just the two of you, Master?” Basil asked his master as he looked at him and his wife exit the car. They had just arrived in Namimori from Tokyo, and had just entered the town’s borders. For some reason, their requirements to enter the town was quite strict. Basil could swear that he saw some delinquents milling around, assisting the officials assigned to the border security of the place and helping out the tourists with directions and whatnot, but that could just be his imagination.

Sawada Iemitsu nodded. “If it’s just my wife and I, then that would at least put Tsunayoshi at ease that there are no outsiders. He might still be mad, and we wouldn’t want you to see when he gets angry,” he advised.

Basil nodded in understanding, “I understand, Master. Shall we drop you off at the steps?”

“Please do,” Iemitsu replied. It had been years since he has seen his eldest son. The last time was when he was a year old, when they had entrusted Nana’s sisters with his care. The boy had shown strange powers that not even the mafia is familiar of. Nana had explained that Tsuna was born with the Tenri Clan family trait, the Sight, where one can see the spiritual beings of the world. That explained why Tsuna always seemed to be playing with someone when he was left alone most of the time. He was playing with the spirits that normal people couldn’t see, and Nana had somehow resented it.

So when she suggested that they leave Tsuna under the care of his sisters who also share the same abilities, Iemitsu didn’t need any more reason to disagree with her.  

He knew that she was fearful of the power that was inside their son. While it was not the child’s fault, there was little he could do. Sure he signed custody papers to leave Tsuna to Nana’s sisters, but deep in him, he still longs to see the boy that he never managed to meet for the rest of his life.

He didn’t realize that he should have acted upon that desire the moment his wife suggested leaving Tsuna to be raised by a family that has cut all ties with them.

“I never thought I would come back here…” Nana muttered as she looked at the car window, looking at the place full of contempt.

…

“They’re all set?” Kyouya asked Tsuna.

Tsuna was at the table with Kyouya drinking tea while the others played with Lambo. Reborn had disappeared again, probably training in one of the uninhabited parts of the Tenri property, just a few miles from the Inari Shrine.

Tsuna nodded. “We packed their things last night, and their plane tickets are scheduled tonight, taking a red-eye flight,” he informed.

The older teen sighed, “So he chose to just go up and leave?”

“Not really,” Tsuna stated. “He wants to be in contact with me after this, and he promises that he would visit along with the others when things in Italy calms down for him.”

Kyouya smiled and stared at Ietsuna and his guardians, “At least we could be assured that Takeshi and Kyoko are well taken care of,”

“Same goes for me.”

“But when Kyoko returns home as well, the two of them will have a lot of explaining to do with hiding this from us.” Kyouya said with a sigh.

Tsuna chuckled. “All of us are protective of the two of them since we grew up together. I understand why you’re a bit upset that they entered into a world that is full of danger and bloodshed…” he stated. “But…during the early days of Namimori, the Tenri and Hibari clans also clashed swords with outsiders,”

“Yes, but not the head priests. That was the job of the other members of the family and the warrior clans of Namimori,” Kyouya stated. “I do hope that they would understand the meaning of taking someone’s life.”

“We both know we can’t prevent that from happening. It’s in their blood.”

“Hn.” Was Kyouya’s only reply.

A rather distant person Kyouya may be, all of them know that he does care about a lot of people in his life, and that included him, Takeshi, Kyoko, Ryohei and his cousin Tetsuya. These said people also understood how the young Hibari heir thinks, and rather appreciates his concerns when he voices it out. Tsuna had a first-hand experience about it when he was being bullied when they were in middle school after all.

Tsuna felt a slight twinge in his forehead the moment the talismans within five hundred miles radius from the shrine detected something.

There was someone detestable coming, and Tsuna didn’t like it one bit. He took one glance at his fellow priest, and the two made instant eye contact.

Hibari read his alarmed eyes immediately, and he instantly knew that the visitors who triggered the talismans were _them_.

Standing up from their position, the two left the room to go outside.

The only one who noticed them leave was Takeshi, who knew that the talisman had been triggered. His abilities he inherited may be weaker than the two of them who were born into the two major clans, but he could still sense things because of his blood as the protector of the Tenri Clan.

It had been an ancient story, but the relationships between the Tenri Clan, and Yamamoto Clan had been like the relationship between the Hibari, Kusakabe and Sasagawa Clans. All clans are loyal to each other, protecting them and defending each and every one of them as long as it is within their line of justice and goals. But no one can argue that the two clans had a servant-master relationship, as the very first Yamamoto had been Tenri Nadeshiko’s protector even before she had become the priestess of Konosuke, the fox deity.

As he felt the signals the talismans were sending the shrine, Yamamoto had a suspicion that the ones who triggered it was none other than the parents of Tsunayoshi and Ietsuna.

…

Iemitsu and Nana arrived at the foot of the shrine staircase when they felt a foreboding air around the shrine.

“Iemitsu…” Nana let out after she recovered from the air around the bottom of the stairs.

“Yeah. Something is up with this place…” Iemitsu agreed.

“No…” Nana said, “This foreboding feeling is the miasma spread by the shrine to discourage those who wish to mean the place harm…or to keep certain people away…” she muttered.

It was then when the two of them saw a figure descending the stairs. The sunrays prevented them from seeing the face of the person as he descended, but they could make up the figure of a teenager wearing a kimono and orange hakama. When they got a closer look at him as the sunrays were blocked by his brown hair, they only stared at the boy.

He looked very familiar, as if he was…

“Tsu-kun!” Nana said in surprise, not really believing that the person in front of her could be her eldest son.

Instead of a greeting, the boy merely spoke coldly, sending shivers down their spines. “Are you referring to me, or Ietsuna?”

The Sawada couple were shocked upon hearing the response. That could only mean one thing: in front of them was the child that they had abandoned when he was nothing but a toddler.

“Tsuna…” Iemitsu addressed.

Tsuna looked at them with a neutral face, “It’s a surprise that you still remember my name.”

Iemitsu stared dumbstruck at the teenager in front of them this was what their eldest son had become? A simple priest of a shrine that held immense supernatural energy? Even if he looked like an average priest, any perceptive person can sense the immense spiritual power of the child, an aura that he once felt from Tenri Nishiki and Tenri Nuriko.

Nana was no novice in sensing the spiritual energy of her surroundings. Her only flaw was that it was not enough for her to see the Ayakashi like his sisters and parents do, and that made her resentful and bitter until now. She had envied what her sisters had, and she felt isolated by the gods for not bestowing upon her the Sight. It was a rare gift to have, she knew, but that doesn’t mean that she should just take it in a stride. The only ones who do not possess the Sight in the Tenri Clan were those of the branch families whose blood were diluted from the numerous outside marriages from those who are not spiritually powerful or faithful in the Shinto religion.

But Nana was not a distant relative nor was she unfaithful to the religion. So why forsake her the ability that her sisters were blessed with? She couldn’t understand why.

And now that she had seen her son with the same aura as her sisters after over a decade, she frowned as the old bitter jealousy in her returned. “I see that you have become the head priest of the shrine.” She said with contempt.

Tsuna, for all he was worth, was trying to rein in his anger and resentment towards the woman who dared call herself his mother. “I see you still hadn’t gotten over the fact that your son had the Sight and skipped you.” He said scathingly.

Nana inwardly admitted that what her son said hurt, but she held her ground. There was no way she would allow herself to be undermined by a child that came from her. “Talking back to your own parents. What had my sisters taught you over the years?”

At that statement, Nana shivered as she saw her son’s eyes narrow, complete anger coursing through those caramel eyes that she incited herself. “For one thing, how to judge whether a person is worthy of being a priest of Namimori’s Inari shrine, and what it means to be a member of the Tenri Clan.”

Before she could say anything, another teenager who looked a lot like Kusakabe Hanami and Hibari Shige, descended the stairs from behind Tsuna. “Tsunayoshi, your aura is getting tainted with anger. Rein it in.” he warned. He then looked at the Sawada couple. “Ah, I see you decided to pick up the freeloaders,”

“What do you mean freeloaders?” Tsuna asked with a raised brow, “They’re guests, except for Ietsuna. He deserves to be here,” he corrected.  

“With that hitman coming as a package deal? I think not. I tolerate the hitman as it is.” Kyouya replied. “That bomber too. I don’t like the fact that he smells of gunpowder.”

“What about Lambo?” Tsuna asked innocently.

“The cow child, I can tolerate.” Kyouya replied, “But our new arrivals…” he looked back at them. “Well, it is up to you to proceed. Invite them to the receiving room, or make them turn around.”

“True.” Tsuna agreed. He then turned to them, “Many would find it as a courtesy to tell the host when you would arrive _specifically_ , and not show up at our doorstep so suddenly. Had our wards not warned us, we would be unprepared for your arrival.” He stated. “But still, it’s too late to do that now. Follow me to the receiving room,” he said as he and Kyouya turned.

“I will go on ahead and instruct them where to go.” Kyouya whispered to him.

Tsuna nodded. “Alright.”

Iemitsu and Nana looked at each other, wondering what was up with the two teenagers, but chose to follow them anyway.

…

The first one who noticed Kyouya return was Ietsuna. “Instructions from Tsunayoshi. All of us will go to the private room.” He announced.

“The private room?” Ietsuna asked him. “Since when did a shrine have a private room?”

Takeshi laughed. “A funny story actually,” he told them. “A few generations ago, a Hibari married into the Tenri clan. That Hibari was an investigator and a very busy woman, and that room served as the private room for getting some peace and quiet from all the ruckus that the Tenri children are all known for when they all band together. That was then modified to accustom their daughter looking for a potential husband. Noise from inside the room cannot be heard, but the person inside the private room can hear all conversations from the receiving room. That way, the daughter can hear what her parents and potential husband are talking about.”

“Talk about stingy in marriage choice…” Ietsuna muttered.

“Back then, old Japanese customs are still put into practice. It’s not really strange that even the daughters are stingy with their choice of husbands as men are with looking for wives.” Gokudera explained to him. “Basically, marriages in those days have the sequence of marriage first before falling in love.”

“No further explanation needed…” Ietsuna muttered as he and the others followed Kyouya and Takeshi to the interrogation room of the house.

…

When Tsuna and his guests had arrived at the main living room, there was already tea prepared at the kotatsu.

“Ah, I see that the helpers served us tea in advance,” Tsuna said with a monotonous tone. “Please have a seat.” He said and the two followed. “Do you want some green tea?”

“We won’t be here long. We are just here to pick up Ietsuna,” Iemitsu started, refusing the offer.

Tsuna tilted his head, “Shouldn’t you be accepting the offer before getting down to business, as what is proper for someone getting inside the house of the Tenri Clan?” Tsuna asked them coldly. “I thought that your wife had given you the rundown on the rules, as this is the third time that you had stepped into the grounds of the shrine and house.”

Nana stared at her eldest son, “I am still a member of the Tenri Clan. I have every right to be in this property as much as you are,”

Tsuna smirked, “ _If_ you are still a member of the Tenri Clan.” He said. When he saw the shocked face of his mother, he continued while Kyouya was just silently amused at the dropping of the bomb. “While it is true that blood is everything when it comes to the rights of this property, that is only applicable to those who did not abandon the traditions and beliefs of the family, and you, Sawada Nana, had been cast off the family registry.”

Nana stared at the official copy of the family registry of the Tenri clan of Namimori. Nana knew that the Tenri Clan held a lot of influence all over the country. The Tenri name can get a person everywhere at the mere use of it. To lose such a privilege, well, Nana had never thought of it until now.

“You took me off the registry?” Nana demanded.

Tsuna shook his head. “Correction, Nishiki-obaasama had taken you out of the registry a day after you had relinquished all possible custody regarding me fifteen years ago. As it stands, you have no right to demand anything from me, or the family entirely.” He informed. “Don’t believe me? Check the town hall for a copy of the family registry. There is the proof that the only Tenri women of this generation are Tenri Nishiki and Tenri Nuriko. No one bearing the name of Tenri Nana longer exists.”

“What about Ietsuna?” Iemitsu asked cordially, making sure not to step on a possible landmine that could be anywhere.

Tsuna smiled at the concern of the man. While he faulted the two of them from relinquishing all claims to him, Tsuna remembers enough that his father at least took care of him and spoiled him as often as he can even after finding out that he possessed the Sight. “Of course, the only one cast out of the family is her. Ietsuna has been added to the registry the moment we found out of his existence. He does not share the same mindset as her, and as the Tenri blood is active in him, he is more than worthy to be in our family tree.”

Nana glared at him. “Ietsuna does not have the Sight.”

Tsuna raised a brow, “Oh? Then can you tell me how much of him have you seen his entire life?” he challenged. “I happened to hear from Ietsuna that the both of you are sometimes gone for months, for as long as he could remember. To make up for it, you shower him with luxury that he didn’t want. Pretty bad parenting if you ask me.”

Iemitsu looked at his son, “Tsuna, you don’t understand. Your mother and I are involved in a business that is not meant for you to know about it given your abilities that is unusual in our world…”

“Oh I know all about the mafia.” Tsuna said, shocking the two. “Involving your son in the mafia just because he is a potential candidate to succeed as boss because of your bloodline and the fact that you thought he did not possess the Sight…well, I’m not someone who can speak for him.” He shrugged. “The fact is, Ietsuna does indeed have the Sight. Powerful enough to exude his aura that is also befitting a mafia boss. I’d say it’s a win-win situation.”

“How could this happen? I saw him grow up and not once had he shown any signs of having it!” Nana exclaimed, not believing Tsuna in the slightest.

“It goes to show that you spend little time with the son that you kept.” Tsuna shot back.

When Iemitsu saw his wife about to explode, he held her shoulder. “Nana, calm down.” Iemitsu instructed. The woman nodded, but continued to give Tsuna the displeased eye. “Tsuna, I understand why the two of you manifested the Sight at birth, but from my knowledge, it isn’t supposed to be that powerful before one has come to their maturity. That is what scared your mother and had recommended that we leave you to your aunts to raise.”

At his question, Tsuna smiled. “Oh, we have your bloodline to thank you for that,”

“My bloodline?” Iemitsu asked.

“Yes.” Tsuna confirmed. “The blood of the Vongola Primo, known here in Namimori as Sawada Ieyatsu who possessed the Hyper Intuition, as you all call it, had merged with the Tenri blood whose family members—well, at least some of them—possess strong supernatural abilities that a man could only imagine its extent. Normally, only one bloodline would be active for the child to access, but imagine what could happen if both of them are up and running.” He informed.

Iemitsu’s eyes widened, “And in other words…”

“In other words, you just sired two children who has both bloods active in a single generation, namely, Ietsuna and I.” he said with a smirk, “You’re a pretty lucky bastard in terms of children, though I can’t say the same in terms of your marriage choice,” he praised, not looking at his mother’s way at all.

Silence reigned in the room for a while until Iemitsu broke it, “Then…why are you telling us this?” he asked.

Tsuna eyed his tea, “Just to make things clear, I am still cross with the both of you for leaving me here and relinquishing all claims to me as your son the moment you found out that I was born with the Sight. But I am still an older brother, and I figured you had the right to know just what Ietsuna is capable of doing. After all, he will be a future mafia boss, and I intend for him to survive until he reaches an old age like the current boss.” He informed. “I cannot prevent him from going back into the mafia world, but I can compromise about how much he would involve himself in the mafia, and in the world of civilians.”

“Who are you to demand such a thing from us?!” Nana shouted as she stood from where she sat. “You’re just a child who has known no idea what the mafia is!”

Tsuna’s eyes stared at her sharply. “I am the older brother deprived of protecting his younger brother because of your selfish choices, Sawada Nana. You’d best be silent right now before I do something I will not regret, but would endanger you gravely.” He warned. “Remember, Konosuke is not very forgiving to those who hurt his priests.”

Nana restrained herself from doing something she would regret. She remembered the story of the last person who dared lay a hand on Konosuke’s head priest, her great grandfather Tenri Akatsuki. The man had been brutally murdered in front of the shrine by a jealous former lover who has been left by him over his wife. “You dare threaten me?”

“I can’t say I dare. I _am_ threatening you.”

“You are nothing but a child who holds a grudge for being abandoned! I admit that a day hasn’t passed that I ever regretted not just simply placing you in an orphanage rather than to your aunts!”

Tsuna looked at her, resentment now evident in his eyes, but his face remained neutral. “And that’s why you would never be good enough,” he said. “What do you think, Ietsuna?”

As he said that, the sliding door behind them opened, revealing all the people in the house looking at Sawada Nana with contempt, most especially Ietsuna. “I think we should get back…” Ietsuna sighed. He looked at his older brother apologetically. Then he turned at Iemitsu, “Dad, let me just get my luggage and we can go.”

“Alright.” Iemitsu recognized that trait of Ietsuna’s when he gets too angry: he ignores the person who upset him, and this time, it was directed at Nana.

Tsuna stood up as he turned to leave the room, “Takeshi and Hayato will see the three of you off. You know the way. I have things to attend to,”

“Iemitsu-san,” Takeshi said, “Hayato and I will be returning to Italy next week. Lambo will be going with Ietsuna today,” he said, speaking also for Hayato who was still speechless from the outburst of the Sawada matriarch.

And with that, the teenagers and Lambo left the room, leaving behind Iemitsu and Nana alone in the room.

Nana was still looking at where her youngest son disappeared to with Tsuna, staring at the door in shock. Iemitsu knew that it was time to have a talk with his wife.

“Nana, what you did earlier was bordering on rude to the owner of the place.” He lectured. “You shouldn’t have run your mouth about this matter.”

“That child was disrespectful!” Nana defended. “He should have enough respect not to say scathing words like that.”

“They are scathing because they are true.” Iemitsu stated. “Nana, if you still hold on to the grudge of you not having what our sons and your sisters are born with, you would lose the affection of Ietsuna. Remember that.”

Nana glared at her husband, “Why are you taking their side?”

“I am taking no one’s side. You are in the wrong here this time, and you need to realize that before your relationship with your sons self-destruct. I for one, intend to reconnect with Tsuna whether it takes me all eternity to do.” As Iemitsu said that, he turned and left his wife in the receiving room to contact Basil to wait for them at the bottom of the steps. Unbeknownst to them, Nekota was watching the entire conversation, a smirk evident on her face as she looked victoriously at the angry Nana.

“Well, well, well, at least Ieyatsu’s descendant came to his senses…” she muttered.

…

After leaving the room, Ietsuna felt that he had to rush to Tsuna’s room. He just had a bad feeling that the calm expression that Tsuna had exuded earlier was somewhat strange for him. With the knowledge that he resented his parents, with their mother having more fault than their father, Tsuna was bound to be seething inside.

When he arrived at the front of Tsuna’s room, the first thing he heard was sobbing. Feeling dread inside, he immediately slid open his door to see Tsuna in the arms of Konosuke, crying.

“Nii-san…” Ietsuna called as he ran to be beside his brother. He could see that he was shaking and sobbing in Konosuke’s leg, while the deity was rubbing circles on his back.

“I thought I would be strong enough to face them without me ending up crying because of what that woman said…” Tsuna muttered.

Konosuke growled. “That woman…up to this day, I still wonder why she was born into this clan. She’s not a proper mother for you, Tsuna,”

“She’s not a proper mother for _anyone_.” Ietsuna answered, surprising the fox deity. “But for what it’s worth…I’m sorry you had to hear that from her…after all, she is still my mother…”

At that, Tsuna sat up properly and wiped some tears that stained his face. He smiled at his little brother. “You don’t have to apologize in her stead. It’s just…I never thought, after all these years, I would be affected by the words she would say.” He confessed. “That doesn’t matter now that I have said my piece and incited her as I intended to,”

“I’m glad,” Ietsuna said. “Are you going to see me off then?”

Tsuna shook his head, saddening the younger boy, “I can’t, but Takeshi, and Hayato would. Reborn informed me before they came that he would be waiting on them when they arrive back to their car.”

“I see…” Ietsuna mumbled sadly.

Tsuna chuckled and gave him a poke on the forehead, “Creases on your forehead will do nothing but bring you wrinkles when you grow old.” He lectured slightly. “We’ll see each other again—that is, if you still want to,”

“Of course I do!” Ietsuna said, “I’m not someone who would search for someone and then forget them so easily!” he defended.

Tsuna laughed, “I know,” he embraced Ietsuna, “I’ll miss you and Lambo making noise in the house though,” he muttered. “But I at least have Gokudera-kun to keep me company until the next weekend,”

Ietsuna smiled as he returned the embrace, “I’ll e-mail and write to you as much as I can,”

“Looking forward to it.” Tsuna replied as he gave something to Ietsuna. Ietsuna looked at the trinket in his hand and smiled.

“Thank you,” he breathed out.

Tsuna simply smiled and sent Ietsuna on his way, leaving him in his room with Konosuke.

…

When Ietsuna had gotten at the bottom of the stairs of the shrine, he saw that his mother was inside the car, and his father and Reborn were conversing with each other. Takeshi and Hayato were also there, trying to load the luggage belonging to Lambo while keeping him calm, the child whining about not wanting to leave ‘Yoshi-nii’ in the house alone.

When Lambo spotted him, he immediately hopped from Takeshi’s arms and ran towards Ietsuna, catching almost everyone’s attention. “Tsuna-nii! Are we really leaving Yoshi-nii’s place?” at his statement, those outside were now looking at Ietsuna for his answer.

Ietsuna knew that his father was waiting for a ‘no’ from him. Coming to Namimori had been an impulse, and he knew that once he gets back to Italy, he was going to receive a reprimanding of a lifetime—not that he cared anymore. He simply patted Lambo’s hair and smiled. “It will just be for a while. If you are a good kid, then we would get to see Nii-san again soon,”  

“Promise?”

Ietsuna looked back at the top of the shrine, were Tsuna, Kyouya and Konosuke could be seen staring at them from the top. He found himself smiling. “That’s a promise.”

…

**Ten Years Later**

**Christmas Eve**

“Ietsuna, where are you taking me?” a woman asked as she looked at her driving fiancé through his hometown.

Ietsuna smiled, “I want you to meet someone special to me this Christmas.” He said simply.

“I already met your guardians, parents and Reborn. Who else do I have to meet?” she wondered. “Though you never tell me anything about what you do here in Japan.”

It had been a surprise to her one week ago when he had shown up at her apartment, handing her a plane ticket to Japan. She knew that her husband-to-be always goes there every chance he gets, especially when they were still students, but not the reason why. Her older brother had warned her that he might have someone in Japan who is in an amorous relationship with him other than her. Ietsuna’s guardians were also tight-lipped about their doings in Japan, which had led to a lot of misunderstandings in the past, with one particular incident leading Ietsuna to the ER at one point.

Taking his hand off from the steering wheel, he grabbed her hand and kissed it, eyes still looking at the road, “Don’t worry Mami, like I told you before the incident, this is not something to be jealous about. Actually, I rather think you would be thrilled,” he hinted.

“You know I don’t like not knowing things,” Mami chided lightly.

“So you do, but this is a surprise, alright?”  

“You’re lucky I love you too much, Ietsuna,” she said, relenting to her fiancé’s wishes.

With that, Ietsuna drove the rented car to the other side of Namimori, and stopped at the foot of the stairs of a shrine. Mami looked at the tori which read, _‘Inari Shrine of Namimori’_ in large characters. She saw a similar shrine at the entrance of Namimori as well, though that one was a Nekoma shrine.

“A shrine?” Mami said as she looked back at Ietsuna, who was now gathering their things from the back of the car.

“Mm hmm,” was his curt reply. “Shall we go up? The others are already here,”

Mami figured that the ‘others’ he was talking about were his guardians who had disappeared just the other day, only to find out that they had taken the next jet to who-knows-where. Now she knew that they all went ahead to this place.

“Tell me, what is important about this place?” she wondered as the two of them ascended the stairs.

“Very important,” he replied. “Had I not ended up here, then we wouldn’t have had any vacations planned here every year for the past ten years,”

“Ten years? You mean the one where a leak had happened?”

“Pretty much, but we managed to silence those who dared pry into our affairs with the help of Reborn. No biggie. What’s important is that we have to hurry up or Lambo will eat all the homemade food here…”

At that, Mami giggled, “You two were quite the gluttons, I see,”

“Only to this person’s cooking, which is why we have to hurry up before it’s all gone.”

When they arrived at the top of the shrine, Mami stared in awe at the residence that was located just next to the large shrine dedicated to Inari Okami. Born and raised in Italy but of Japanese descent, Mami barely knew anything about Japanese folklore, so everything was a bit new to her.

Ietsuna led them to the entrance of the house connecting the shrine, and they instantly heard voices.

“Takeshi-nii! Save some for me!”

“Haha! You win some, you lose some Lambo!”

“You two idiots cut it out or I’ll blow the two of you up!”

“Not in this place Hayato-san!”

“EXTREME!”

“Onii-chan not you too! Remember the rules!”

“Kyoko, silence your friends and brother or I will not be responsible for what will happen to them and their faces,”

“Sorry, Kyou-nii.”

“Kufufu, why are you always like this when it comes to food?”

Mami looked back at Ietsuna, “Are they…?”

“Yep. They’re already here,” Ietsuna replied with a smile as he reached for the door and slid it open. The two of them got in the entrance and he called out loud. “We’re here!”

Ietsuna and Mami deduced that the noise was coming from the receiving room at the right of the house, which was the biggest room in the house. Placing the bags down on the corner of the entryway, he led Mami to the room.

What they saw was the usual noise that they make, Mami felt a semblance of familiarity rather than strange at the sight of the guardians bickering, though there were two people that she did not know personally. There was a man with white blond spiky hair that looked like a flat lawn (no offense intended) and stern looking man in a kimono and purple hakama looking like he wanted to kill the noisy ones in the room.

“Ah! Ietsuna, Mami,” Takeshi greeted them. “The flight went well then?”

“Yeah. Feniche is good as gold.”

“Got to love the Boss Jet,” Lambo mused. “How do you like Namimori so far, Mami-nee?”

“I haven’t really seen much since we arrived. Ietsuna was very eager to shove me in the car and drive here,” Mami said as she looked back at the sheepish Ietsuna scratching the back of his neck.

When Ietsuna scanned the room, He instantly noticed someone missing. “Hey, where is…”

“Out. Went to buy refreshments since your lot decided to empty the whole cooler.” The stern man said. “Is this your intended?”

“The way you say it makes it a bit too formal…” Ietsuna muttered, but when he received a sharp look from the man, he immediately stilled and introduced her, “Mami, this is Hibari Kyouya. He’s the head priest of the Nekoma shrine at the entrance of Namimori. He’s also the childhood friend of the person I want you to meet,”

The man, now named as Kyouya, bowed in acknowledgement and sized her up, “Ietsuna has always talked about you. I hope this place satisfies you and your curiosity.” He said with a ghostly smile.

“Eh?”

“I’m not so ill-informed that I did not know that you had been in an accident because of the whole secrecy,” Kyouya said. “That person reacted enough for me to know how serious that affair was,”

Mami looked back at Ietsuna, “This person, Ietsuna, don’t tell me that this person is an ex of yours?”

At the horrified face of Ietsuna and amused look from Kyouya, Mami knew that was not the case. Ietsuna laughed at the notion instead, “Hell no! That would be considered illegal!”

“What is illegal?”

Mami heard a mellow voice from right behind them. The people turned to look at the person who spoke. At that moment, Mami’s heart fluttered when he saw a person with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail by an orange ribbon. He had the most beautiful caramel eyes she had ever seen. He was wearing a kimono and orange hakama. The facial structure of the person was what amazed her the most, for Mami saw a bit of Ietsuna in them. Both of their eyes screamed of untapped power that she could never put into words. The man’s aura was very calming, as if being near him is peace and harmony personified.

“Tsunayoshi, took you long enough,” she heard Kyouya say as he took the bags of refreshments that the person was holding. Now Mami knew that this person was an effeminate man. At first glance, you would think that he was a she from the facial structure and lithe form alone, though he was at least an inch shorter than Ietsuna.

“Konosuke distracted me for a while before going to Reitetsu-san and Mira-san’s place to see his grandkids.” He explained.

His eyes then trailed to Mami especially, making her blush, “Ietsuna, is this the person you want me to meet?” she wondered.

Ietsuna smiled, “Yeah. This is Kozato Mami, my fiancée .Mami, I would like you to meet Tenri Tsunayoshi, the head priest of the Inari shrine, and my older brother.” 

Mami’s eyes widened in realization. So that was why she saw a bit of Ietsuna in him.

Tsunayoshi smiled and bowed to her curtly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you at last, Mami-chan. Ietsuna won’t stop talking about you every summer for the past five years you know,”

“Nii-san!” Ietsuna blushed at his statement.

“N-Nice to meet you as well, Tsunayoshi-san,”

“Please, call me Tsuna, after all, you and Ietsuna will be husband and wife in six months,”

Mami’s left hand twitched as she remembered the ring that Ietsuna had used to propose to her two months ago during a dinner date they had that day. “T-Tsuna-san then,”

Tsuna smiled, “Now come and join the party!” he said as he eagerly pushed Ietsuna inside the room again, with Mami and Kyouya following suit.

…

“She can’t see?” Tsuna asked Ietsuna when they knew that the others were too caught up in the small party to notice the two of them talking. Kyouya had left earlier, claiming that he had to get back to the shrine before sundown, with Ryohei following suit, as he had to be home early to his wife and kid.

Ietsuna shook his head, “No, but her older brother, Enma-san, could, but she is well aware that the ayakashi exists,”

Tsuna smiled, “I’m glad you found your future wife splendidly, though I don’t approve the way you kept me and Namimori a secret like you had a lover hidden here behind her back.” He looked at him disapprovingly, still not letting him live down the fact that he broke four ribs because he was in a hurry to come after her while she was on her way to their family island, never to return.

“Nii-san, when are you going to get married?”

Tsuna shook his head, “I don’t see why I and Reborn should do it so early,”

At the mention of his former tutor and External Adviser and Arcobaleno, Ietsuna frowned. He still hasn’t gotten over the fact that his older brother fell for Reborn and had been together for the better part of six years. Since Reborn was fifteen years older than Tsuna, it still irked him that the hitman had managed to snare the heart of his older brother from behind his back. Apparently, Reborn visits Namimori more than him with missions as an excuse.

“I don’t see why you had to fall for Reborn,” he returned.

Tsuna smiled, “We all have our own opinions in the matter, but Reborn and I’s feelings are mutual, so I see no problem with it. Konosuke was a bit glad that Nekota-san got over her crush on him the moment she found out he plays for the same team,” Tsuna could still remember that Konosuke was in such a good mood for a week after the revelation.

“But how can you continue the Tenri line if you will be with Reborn?” he wondered.

“Ah, that?” Tsuna said, “Remember, Ietsuna, that one or two of our ancestors had mated with a deity once, and you know what that means,” he hinted.

Ietsuna’s eyes widened, “What!?” his head snapped to look at his older brother, hoping to all deities that he was joking, but it seems that it’s true. “You can…you know…”

“Of course not silly! I’m just messing with you!” he said, which made Ietsuna relax, “At least, I think I am,” Tsuna added, and Ietsuna rolled his eyes.

“You’re just playing with me. I’m not falling for that one, Nii-san.” He grunted. “Oh, which reminds me, where’s Konosuke-san and the others? I don’t feel any ayakashi or deity presence here right now,”

“Konosuke is at the Namimori Mountain on a drinking party with Nekota-san,” he informed.

“Ah, I see…” Ietsuna muttered as he relaxed on where Tsuna and Ietsuna sat at the front of the backyard. “I can’t believe that it’s been ten years since I came here,”

Tsuna nodded. “I know what you mean. I am glad that you made the choice to become a stowaway and be caught by Kyouya,”

“And I never regret it, not one bit.” Ietsuna replied as he looked at the trinket—a bracelet—that Tsuna had given him all those years ago. Engraved in the simple bracelet was a phrase that had always kept Ietsuna going, and looking forward to his next visit in Namimori.

_A Family is Always There to Love You_

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this AU of KHR! See you soon~!


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